The effect of smart phones on socialinteraction
Technology in the 21
st
century is a vital component. In a number of aspects, it is the big reasonwhy individuals enjoy a lot of comfort in their lives. In addition, it has helped improve the livingstandards and working condition of folks. Many questions as to the effects of technology have been asked. Giving the rapid expansion of the technology industry, does the society consume alot of technology, has its influence and effects gone that far? Alternatively, is it only a mare toolof engagement in the social sphere of life? This hub seeks discuss the effects of smart phones insocial interactions and how the ever changing technology has influenced the social developmentof the modern society.
Communication and Humanity
Communication is an integral part of humanity. Through communication, individuals are better placed to understand themselves better. According to technology experts, human evolution isdirectly correlated to technology evolution. This implies that technology is rapidly changing tomatch the needs of humanity. In the contemporary society, the evolution of technology has easedcommunication across all levels of life. In addition, the technology is influencing the mode of communication between individuals. The aforementioned has been taken a notch higher by theintroduction of smart phones.
What is a smart phone?
A smart phone is an advanced communication gadget with advanced phone capabilities i.e. it hasmagnificent computing abilities. In addition, the technology used in their designs is unique inthat it affects individual engagements, firm productivity and interactions in working places.Smart phones are unique set of communication devices that have revolutionized the social world.It is apparent that most individual in the modern society own or aspire to own a smart phone. Asmart phone is a good indicator of a social user class. A superior smart phone makes one smart inthe social sphere. That is individuals are in the social world tends to associate with thoseconsidered to rule the social medial via their sophisticated phones. This brings in the issue of morality and the ethical aspect of smart phones in communications.
Smart phones and Communication
Smart phones are responsible for the alienation of oral mode of communication. This implies thatthe phones effect to communication cannot be brushed off or not when it also affects productivity of individuals and firms. Smart phones are addictive devices that can compromisethe interactions between individual friends and corporate executives. Allow me to bring aglimpse of what the statement means. In a business set up, communication between senior management and junior employees is important. However, with the coming into being of smart phones, employees, both senior and junior have lost the interest of attending traditional meetings.A number are too engaged to the use of smartphones and could prefer communication through
emails of company social site. They see meetings as an outdated mode of interactions. On theother hand, given the rules of an organization postulates and agitates for traditional meetings, acase in most organizations, the level of concentration may be minimal. Too much engagement on phone disadvantages interactions of individuals. This poses a danger of miss communication because few individual take social media interactions seriously, this is despite the existence of individuals who value social opinion that a real one. However, it is evident that not much weightis attached to social media statements as compared to physical statements.Smart phones have unique and special applications that are distinct from other types of phones.However, the unique applications have jeopardized social engagement by limiting the individualsto be engaged in the chat rooms. This is because the applications are only meant for smart phones and only those who use smart phones are better positioned to interact with other smart phone users from all over the world. Given that the society is heading towards a smart phoneworld, it is apparent that individuals will be investing more time to their screens tweeting andengaging in Facebook forums than meeting one on one with friends and colleagues. That is so because increased number of smartphones will share similar mobile applications hence theability to interact freely with social mates. This also poses a danger to relationships betweenindividuals. Despite individuals being able to make an array of friends and engage in differentrelationships at a particular time the intensity of those relationships cannot be quantified as some persons in the social media are imposters. From the above scenarios, it is apparent that despiterelating with different people in different social platforms, no real oral communication isenhanced.
Smart Phones and personal development
Smart phone effects are not only limited to relationships and oral exchanges, it also influencesheavy on individual level of personal development. These modern phones are to blame for thedeteriorating education levels. Bringing with it advanced learning engines i.e. in buildeducational information, smart phones is a threat to traditional learning. Traditional libraries areregistering diminishing levels visits courtesy of smartphones. Moreover, a smart phones featureallows its users to access internet and other social networks during lecture sessions. This is ahuge demeanor of learning sessions as individuals engage in unacceptable learning modes. The phones divert student concentration during learning sessions. This destruction by social networksand learns through phones attitude limits the harnessing of information from lecture halls. As far as the move limits the use of libraries and traditional encyclopedias for learning studentknowledge is reduced relatively. In addition, this poses a danger as lecturer student relationships
are impacted negatively. Student respect for lecturers’ diminishes over time because they are
able to access the same information if not better from the social networks.
How Smart Phones affect our lives
Smart phones have been a source of satisfaction to all social platform i.e. twitter,Facebookcommunication requirements. However, the negative effects of these social networkscome with serious repercussions to the user. Smartphones are addictive phones. Individuals thathave subscribed to social networks are unable to do away with them despite the intensity of their assignments i.e. at the work place or even homework from school. Users will find themselves
destructed from their concentration to answer a chat message or an email from a social media
‘friend’. In addition, there is a possibility that individuals who miss the destruction during their
daily undertakings will be deprived off their sleep, as they will be looking to answer an inboxand catch up with a friend. The negative effects of smart phones cannot be brushed off in bothwork places and classrooms. Smart phones have deprived individuals off their ability to produceand make firms stay ahead of their competitors. Despite being unable to attend and concentratein strategic meetings, employees have been unable to meet their datelines due to muchengagement in the social networks through smart phones. On the other students are unable toconcentrate in class and grasp the knowledge necessary to revolutionize technology sector further in the near future.
My two cents
As far as smart phones are revolutionizing the mode of communication and enhancing the levelsof interaction between remote and urban people, they are alienating and limiting peopleinteractions. However, smart phones are helping connect individuals whose relationships arecomplicated by geography and distance. Despite being of importance uniting distant individuals,smart phones have helped extend the gap between close individuals while increasing distance between them. From the aforementioned, it is apparent that the coming into force of smart phones has hampered oral communication greatly. In my considered opinion, despite bringingwith it advanced computing capability, in the ethic aspect, it is not of much importance to get asmart phone. This is because it will help one distant him/herself from close persons. Yes, smart phones come with many benefits i.e. it can be used as a library, it can multitask etc. but it caninfluence your social life negatively. Having said that, because technology explosion cannot becontrolled, individuals need to acquire these new gadgets but not let their lives be controlledfully by these objects. Let them control the use of these smart phones to be able to interact withtheir friends and colleagues freely.