I am willing to admit that I am an introverted person, but part of what could be perpetuating that is my usage of a smartphone. I’ve noticed the obvious shift in today’s society to hide behind screens. We saw it happen with the internet, people are able to work from home, and avoid personal contact with most people. I’m interested in analyzing what smartphones have done to us in terms of our social abilities, and whether or not that’s something we should worry about, and act to change.
My main concern is that previously people who were in public would be willing to talk with others around them. With the smartphone, it is easier than ever to avoid social contact with another person, because the smartphone acts as a wall that indicates to other people that you don’t want to be talked to. The problem is that we no longer rely on the people around us for information, and we lose our ability to develop social skills. Instead of asking someone on the side of the road for directions, we simply open a GPS app. There are also potential health risks involved. Studies have been conducted attempting to prove that the radiation emitted from smartphone wireless signals could cause problems in the users. Apart from that, the article mentions deaths caused by lack of attention to one’s own surroundings.
If smartphones have the ability to pose such problems, should the development of phones be stopped? Should Apple, Google, and Blackberry have thought about the social implications of their technology while developing it, and stopped working on it? I think answering yes to this would be very radical, and ceasing development on smartphones would go against the natural tendencies of society.
The article mentions one way to motivate smartphone users to interact more with people around them is to employ Wi-Fi blockers in parks. Is this the solution? Again, my answer is no, there should not be a need to use such devices. It would be counter-productive as most people in today’s society would attempt to avoid such places.
So then what can we do? In my opinion, there should be an active push for apps and features that encourage you to take a break from your smartphone, and be more social with people around you. Something similar to the “Let’s Move!” campaign that promotes healthy lifestyles. Phones these days can detect nearby people, meaning that there is a possibility to use these devices as a means for making new friends, and improving social interactions. In my opinion, there simply needs to be a push to inform people about social problems and make everyone aware of the possible problems with overusing smartphones.
