Looking around in any public place such as a bus, or in a doctor’s office, you may notice something that a little over ten years ago would have looked completely foreign. Today, when glancing at a room full of people, many can be seen staring blankly at a glowing hand-held screen. Cell phones, specifically the smartphone, have revolutionized how many of us interact not only on the web but in person.
I use my phone instinctively while out in public to pass time. The first reason I pull my phone out if I am in a public place is to eliminate the feeling of being bored. Having numerous apps to play, or social media platforms to browse affords me an opportunity to pass time by quickly. I am one of 375 million people that checks Facebook daily (Nelson, 2018). The next biggest reason I pull my phone out during situations like these is to limit social anxiety I feel during those moments. In short, I hide behind my phone until they call my name to go back to see the doctor. In my mind, this helps eliminate potentially awkward conversations. These actions have become a norm not only for myself, but for many others. Ultimately, when we are engaged with the screens in front of us instead of the people next to us, we atomize public spaces by blocking out those around us (Humphreys, 2005).
After outlining the reasons why, I am one of the many people caught with their face behind a glowing smartphone, I must ask myself is it worth it? Is it worth always missing the world around me to possibly limit feeling bored, or avoid the possibility of talking to a stranger? Though the pessimist side of me wants to say yes! It is completely worth it, the realist side to me says I am missing out on connecting with people and the world around me. As mentioned in the commentary, one cannot simply turn off using technology, however, we can become more aware about the consequences of using it too much (Nelson, 2015). For me, a viable intervention plan to limit this type of behavior in a public setting is to leave my device in my car or turned off in my bag. This is not a complete removal of technology I rely heavily on, but it does set a limit to how much I can lean on it during social situations.
References:
Humphreys, L. (2005). Cellphones in public: Social interactions in a wireless era. New Media & Society, 7(6), 810-833. 10.1177/1461444805058164
Nelson, A. (2018). Lesson 9 : Media/Communications Technology. Retrieved March 19, 2018, from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1924488/modules/items/23682618
I believe that the use of our cell phones, and in many ways us believing it saves us from boredom, or awkward situations is overly abused. And is making us become socially awkward beings. We often feel a deep connection to our phones and if we loose it, or leave it behind, devastation usually sets in. If I forgot my phone, I would rather be late to whatever engagement that would be, just to turn back and get it because simply put, without it I feel a part of me is missing! What will I hold in my hand to make me feel important, and or look busy so that another human doesn’t want to hold unnecessary conversations! This sort of thinking sucks, and I am aware is apart of the bigger problem. However, this sort of thinking for me and many others, is honest. Without any uncertainty, being this way you miss out on so many beautiful moments in life. Even the simple things. What are suggestions you’d make for a person to limit the amount of time they spend on their social media platform?