The Effects of Cell Phones on Social Interaction
The Problem Statement
Today, cell phones have made communication easy among people all over the world. Unfortunately, many people using them are now faced with troubles since they get themselves at the beck as well as the call of others. However, the effects of cell phones on social interactions remains the major puzzle today. In the late nineteenth-century, there were few users of telephones.[1] Thus, the sociologists could not do much in the investigation of the effects cell phones had on the social life of human beings around the world.[2] Broadly speaking, the condition has taken a different direction in the past few years where more people are now purchasing cell phones. Moreover, it is undeniable that addiction to such gadgets has been at an increasing rate among the users.[3] For instance, one can easily observe that more often than not, a good number of people in a train or a bus would be stack on their phones and barely interact with those next to them.[4] This trend has then attracted the attention of many theorists who have performed several studies that provide the literature on the impacts associated with the cell phones on the social interactions in diverse settings.[5] Thus, a critical question many scholars have sought to address is whether conversations through mobile phones are more effective in enhancing social interactions as opposed to face-to-face communications. The area which seems to depict such interactions is the use of phones for networking platforms amidst other functions. Therefore, this research will seek to address the puzzle on whether cell phones addiction is affecting social interactions in all the spheres of life.
Background
There has been a remarkable evolution in the world’s communication system since the introduction of the first telephone. According to Townsend, the reason behind these developments in the communication industry stems from technological advancements which have resulted in the introduction of devices that are more advanced, appealing, portable, and user-friendly.[6] In a historical context of the cell phones, the origin of these gadgets started from the 1950s.[7] In the 1990s, the technology started taking effect where there was the GSM network developed in Europe and other regions like the Middle East, Asia, Japan, the United States, and Africa.[8] In the current world, the mobile phones come in different functionalities and prices. Also, the phones have not only been used for voicing and texting purposes, but have also provided tools like cameras, MP3 player, radio, calendar, different ringtones, address books, and alarm clocks among others.[9] Therefore, these services and applications provided by the mobile phones have contributed to addiction to the gadget, thus, affecting the social interactions either negatively or positively.[10] In a social context, the critics of social interactions argue that the intensive use of phones has eliminated the traditional face-face interactions.
The Scope of the Proposal
In this paper, the research methodology will be qualitative research where both primary and secondary sources will be used to provide the data for the analysis. The qualitative method is an imperative tool of presenting a detailed understanding of the research as well as providing the analysis of the qualitative data.[11] The primary sources will involve the interviews and articles from different scholars that have been conducted and published concerning the topic of study like the one in Cavanaugh and Villasenor.[12] On the other hand, the secondary sources entail the journal articles, magazines, and textbooks among other publications. The study will focus on the presentation of the arguments of different researchers concerning why addiction to cell phones has been so rampant in people’s social interactions today. First, there will be the reviewing of the literature from different studies on what leads to cell phones addiction in several facets of social interactions. This review will aid in the substantiation of the arguments that have been raised in this research. The other aspect of concern will be to identify the limitations that exist in the existing research and recommend the need for further research. In the last part, there will be a conclusion that will summarize the key findings discussed in this research.
Key Arguments on the Effects of Cell Phones on Social Interaction
Use of Mobile Phones
Some researchers have argued for the idea that cell phones have played a critical role in the field of communication around the world today. In the first place, Gikas and Grant postulate that the use of mobile phones in the 21st century is greater as compared to the traditional face-to-face communication.[13] They further point out the use of these gadget has gained motivation from the interpersonal functions of the people. Such motivations include their interests for a sense of belonging, feeling affection from others, or relating with others. Most importantly, the phones have enhanced long distance communications, provision of entertainment, and accessibility of information.[14] Today’s increased use of mobile phones has resulted from advancement of technology where innovations have brought about appealing models that are also affordable across all the classes of people.[15]
In another study by Bindley, it is indicated that the biggest population of today’s users of cell phones and smart phones are the young people who have sophisticated lifestyles.[16] This population has been associated with a sense of touch. The manufacturers have capitalized on this need among the youths to develop their products to meet them. Additionally, the research performed by Feiler presented the data that young people use mobile phones for interactions using social sites such as Facebook and Twitter among others.[17] The current literature also reveals that the youths spend many hours during the day and night on their phones to catch up with their peers resulting to addiction of phone usage.[18]
Reasons for Today’s Mobile Phone Addiction
Many studies that have been performed on cell phone addiction and its relation to social interaction have pointed out various reasons that have led to this condition. The most critical aspect of this change in people’s interactive behavior is evidenced by technological developments. Most of the research studies hold that innovations have yielded smartphones, iPads, Blackberry, and other mobile phone devices that have increased communication among people.[19] The parents are also blamed for the change that has made many youths unable to deal with the troubles of the social interactions. Bindley has argued that children are provided with smartphones to sooth them and also for entertainment.[20] As a result, the interaction between the children and parents has been displaced by cell phones. Also, such technology has impressed more parents which, in turn, have also detached them from their children in their daily interactions.[21] Nonetheless, the issues related to such addiction to the devices in all facets of social interaction cannot erase the fact that people need the mobile phones for many functions. Therefore, there is a need for self-regulation while using such gadgets.
Another cause of overdependence among the users, and particularly the youth or adolescents, has been the need to converse, feel accepted by others, and also fit in the technologically evolving world of social interactions. Through this aspect, many teachers have experienced difficult times in trying to solve such problems among the high school children.[22] For instance, teachers have always noted students chatting, listening to music, and accessing social sites like Facebook even when the learning sessions are still on. In a similar vein, such youths have classy lifestyles, which have made them acquire the gadgets that meet their sophisticated needs.[23] Undeniably, most people in the business world have also depicted overreliance on the smart phones. This observation indicates that there is a need for them to catch up with the customers and suppliers among other stakeholders of the companies.[24] In most cases, they have constantly used the cell phones to interact through social channels such as emails, Facebook, Twitter, and other applications.[25] This wide range of the gadgets used emanates from the fact that smartphones are now working as small computers and televisions that people walk with in their pockets.
Negative Impacts of Addiction to the Usage of Cell Phones in Social Interactions
Previous studies have also indicated that addiction to cell phones interferes with the hierarchy of communication by eliminating the horizontal and diagonal channels and only promoting the vertical communication.[26] For instance, an increased use of video calls has led to criticism which focuses on the fact that the significance of face-to-face communication may take a different course in the offing.[27] This aspect is evident in the way face-to-face communication has been replaced with the rise in the conversations via mobile phones.[28] In this case, users appear to have less physical interactions with other people while interacting using their phones. Bindley notes the behavior of the youths towards the daily interactions with other people in homes, schools, and institutions among other settings.[29] It has been argued that there has been a problem of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in schools where the students detach themselves from other imperative communications with teacher or other students. They tend to cling to the use of the phone for watching videos, listening to music, playing games, and chatting with their friends who are far from them through text messages and social sites.[30] As a result, there has been less communication with people around them because of such act of multi-tasking.
Gikas and Grant also reveal that mobile phone addiction has been viewed as a big problem today based on the magnitude of the harm it causes on social interaction.[31] It has been argued that there are trending conversations among people, especially where participants have their own mobile phones resulting in constructive communication. However, those who do not have such devices find communication difficult they have to get from other people for use.[32] For instance, the people who use their own gadgets can check any updates for conversation they have with social media feeds, friends, and email updates, and may also play games in the middle of other face-to-face interactions.[33] This study has raised another concern as to whether cell phones can influence the effectiveness of the oldest king of interaction, face-to-face interaction, and being seen as the best medium in the construction of social interactions.
On the other hand, some researchers posit that the use of cell phones has turned out to be physically harmful.[34] There have been increased incidents of people getting physically hurt while using these gadgets. For instance, they end up going into the street with the traffic ahead of them, walking into lampposts, or tripping on sidewalks. Such cases have also been common among people who are texting or using phones for any other purpose constantly while driving or multitasking in busy areas. Moreover, it also appears dangerous when these devices are set with vibrations which are heard every time there is a social interaction update.[35] Such incidences have always diverted people’s attentions whenever they are in other interactions with the people around them or rather can cause distraction among them.
Bindley, on the other hand, points out the addiction to the mobile phones has resulted in a generation that lacks the capability of initiating conversations with the people around them.[36] This situation occurs since they lack an experience in doing what they have not been used to it rather than doing something else on their gadgets. In a similar vein, such people have proofed to be unsuccessful since they do not spend quality time on constructive interactions. Experts have provided the findings that those who spend more of the time on the gadgets have less time for face-to-face interactions, and thus their social achievements are little.[37] Nonetheless, there have been positive results for those who do not use their phones most of the time except when they need them to communicate imperative information. Research also reveals that the people with the addiction have lower feeling of normalcy, sleep for less hours, and have fewer friends who are thought to have no bad influence on them.
Also, addiction to phones has led to some vices such as indulgence in the socially unacceptable interactions. Feiler asserts that, if wrongly used, the cell phones can be dangerous to people’s emotions thus constantly leading them into wrong acts.[38] These actions may include illicit sexual affairs and some criminal activities among others. Reportedly, apart from using phones for gaming and sports, boys have seemed to be accessing pornographic sites which have led to the addiction to it.[39] As a result, they have gone an extra mile to practice what they have fed on and thus these acts constitute a major concern among the theorists about the negative impacts that the advanced technology has come with (Fielder, 2015). Some studies have also argued that the increased cases of crimes in the world have a stake in the social interactions on mobile phones. For instance, criminals have constantly used phones to access the information regarding the areas where they want to carry out such unacceptable activities.[40] In the same manner, cybercrimes have also increased because of the overdependence on the use of mobile phones to hack company or individual accounts.
Positive Impacts
In spite of the many negative impacts that are associated with the cell phones addiction, researchers have pointed out that the mobile phones have made communication easier. This aspect can be even for those without formal education by focusing more on oral communication. In this case, the situation is no longer the same because including the text messages via messaging forums, and social media has led to the diversification of the cell phones capabilities.[41] Through the mobile phones, people have been able to engage in long conversations with people who are far from them and need to pass important information. Gikas and Grant add that the possibility of people communicating with others who are far apart, communicating at any time, and meeting new friends has led to the improvement of the social interactions.[42] In contrast, a few studies have been conducted trying to investigate the positive impacts that the cell phones addiction has on people’s social interactions.
Also, a major concern emerges regarding to whether the mobile phones have played a critical part in ensuring better organization in communication systems or caused more harm to it. For instance, the communications between the companies and clients among other stakeholder have been made possible through increased use of these devices.[43] The firms constantly use phones to make calls, send texts messages, take photos, and send emails among other activities to pass the information that is useful in the line of their business. Gikas and Grant have suggested that there is a need for an understanding of the use of the cell phones in both private and public sectors to enhance effective communication.[44] This argument reveals that the phones have wider applications which range from the organizational instruments that are simple to the social networking forums which are complex.[45] With these applications, the owners of the businesses can make use of their phones for the creation of a better working environment.
Misra et al. further argue that cell phones serve as the agents that enhance the micro-social interactions.[46] Believably, cell phones have provided an opportunity for the revolution of the social interactions between individuals in a given setting. Such changes have placed more emphasis on the interpersonal communication regardless of the impacts associated with the possibilities of caller hegemony.[47] In another positive perspective, theorists have suggested that it is important to take into account the developments which young adults and other people have encountered with the use of use of cell phones. Unsurprisingly, continuous use of the gadgets has enhanced the initiation and development of useful relationships. This concept has worked for the members of a particular social clique that has emerged to be significant; family relationships, for couples leaving far apart; and the emergence of the romantic affiliations.[48] In the past, such connections required presentation in person, later on, landline gadgets, and now made easier with the dominance of the cell phones.[49] Therefore, the continuous use of mobile phones does not only appear as a tool for conveying the information but also a lifeline for the management of the social interactions.
Limitations of the Current Literature and Need for Further Research
In the existing research, there exists a knowledge gap in the literature provided by different theorists and thus calling for further research in the offing. In the first place, the critical puzzle of what causes addiction of the cell phones and as well how this concept affects social interactions needs not to target a general population. Instead, the researchers seek to address a particular part of the population that is most affected by the issue of mobile phones addiction. Additionally, if there are claims that addiction has negatively affected the social interactions, it also appears to be a puzzle of what are the economic implications of such addictions since acquiring these gadgets requires money. Also, some networking forums need subscriptions using money and thus the costs analysis may be critical while examining the effect of the mobile phones on the social interactions.[50] This limitation implies that the future research will need to have an expansion of the subjects to be studied so as to enhance the reliability of the research findings on this subject.
Conclusion
The greatest puzzle that this research examines is why people are so addicted to cell phones today and how this addiction affects social interactions. Different theorists have raised arguments that the major cause of phone addiction is the advanced technology that has led to the production of the gadgets that are appealing. The manufacturers do so to meet the sophisticated needs of the consumers, especially the youths and the young adults. It has also been argued that cell phones have played a critical role in the development and management of the social interactions among the people in the twenty-first century. Most importantly, cell phone conversations have replaced the traditional face-to-face interactions, which seem to be effective in solving social issues affecting the people. But today, the attention of the people to excessive use of mobile phones, especially the messaging platforms, gaming, sports, and other applications have made people have little physical interactions. Moreover, further research is needed to include more subjects so as to address the issue holistically in future.
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[1] Anthony M. Townsend, “Life in the Real-Time City: Mobile Telephones and Urban Metabolism,” Journal of Urban Technology 7, no. 2 (2000): xx, doi:10.1080/713684114.
[2] Hans Geser, “Is the cell phone undermining the social order?: Understanding mobile technology from a sociological perspective,”Knowledge, Technology & Policy 19, no. 1 (January 2006): 11, doi:10.1007/s12130-006-1010-x.
[3] Caroline Tell, “Step Away From the Phone! – The New York Times,” The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia, last modified September 20, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/fashion/step-away-from-the-phone.html.
[4] L. Humphreys, “Cellphones in public: social interactions in a wireless era,” New Media & Society 7, no. 6 (2005), 810.
[5] Joanne Gikas and Michael M. Grant, “Mobile computing devices in higher education: Student perspectives on learning with cellphones, smartphones & social media,” The Internet and Higher Education 19, no. 1 (2013): 18, doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2013.06.002.
[6] Townsend, “Life in the Real-Time City: Mobile Telephones and Urban Metabolism,” Journal of Urban Technology 7, no. 2 (2000): 85.
[7] Maureen Cavanaugh and Renee Villasenor, “How Technology Affects Etiquette and Social Interaction | KPBS,” KPBS Public Media, last modified January 12, 2010, http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/jan/12/how-technology-affects-etiquette-and-social-intera/.
[8] Cavanaugh and Villasenor, ” How Technology Affects Etiquette and Social Interaction”
[9] Cavanaugh and Villasenor, ” How Technology Affects Etiquette and Social Interaction”
[10] Tell, “Step Away From the Phone! – The New York Times,”
[11] John W Creswell, Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, 2013).
[12] Cavanaugh and Villasenor, ” How Technology Affects Etiquette and Social Interaction”
[13] Gikas and Grant, ” Mobile computing devices in higher education”
[14] Gikas and Grant, ” Mobile computing devices in higher education”
[15] Cavanaugh and Villasenor, ” How Technology Affects Etiquette and Social Interaction”
[16] Katherine Bindley, “When Children Text All Day, What Happens To Their Social Skills?,” The Huffington Post, last modified September 12, 2011, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/09/children-texting-technology-social-skills_n_1137570.html.
[17] Bruce Feiler, “Hey, Kids, Look at Me When We’re Talking – The New York Times,” The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia, last modified April 17, 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/fashion/hey-kids-look-at-me-when-were-talking.html.
[18] Feiler, “Hey, Kids, Look at Me When We’re Talking”
[19] Joanna Walters, “Tablets and Smartphones May Affect Social and Emotional Development, Scientists Speculate | Technology | The Guardian,” The Guardian, last modified February 2, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/01/toddler-brains-research-smartphones-damage-social-development.
[20] Bindley, “When Children Text All day”
[21] Claire Goscicki, “Study discovers how cell phone use affects social interactions,” The Michigan Daily, last modified March 21, 2011, https://www.michigandaily.com/news/%E2%80%98u%E2%80%99-researchers-identify-link-between-cell-phones-and-socialization-habits.
[22] Alexandrra Ossola, “A New Kind of Social Anxiety in the Classroom,” The Atlantic, last modified January 14, 2015, https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/01/the-socially-anxious-generation/384458/.
[23] Cavanaugh and Villasenor, ” How Technology Affects Etiquette and Social Interaction”
[24] Goscicki, “Study discovers how cell phone use affects social interactions,”
[25] Cavanaugh and Villasenor, ” How Technology Affects Etiquette and Social Interaction”
[26] Geser, “Is the cell phone undermining the social order?”
[27] S. Misra et al., “The iPhone Effect: The Quality of In-Person Social Interactions in the Presence of Mobile Devices,” Environment and Behavior 48, no. 2 (2014): 276, doi:10.1177/0013916514539755.
[28] Paul Mountjoy, “Cell Phones Promote Serious Social, Psychological Issues – Washington Times,” The Washington Times, last modified December 31, 2014, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/31/cell-phones-promote-serious-social-psychological-i/.
[29] Katherine Bindley, “When Children Text All Day, What Happens To Their Social Skills?,” The Huffington Post, last modified September 12, 2011, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/09/children-texting-technology-social-skills_n_1137570.html.
[30] Chris Morris, “Is Technology Killing the Human Touch?,” CNBC, last modified July/August 15, 2015, http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/15/gy-killing-the-human-touch.html.
[31] Gikas and Grant, ” Mobile computing devices in higher education”
[32] Bindley, “When Children Text All Day”
[33] Misra et al., “The iPhone Effect,” 280
[34] Cavanaugh and Villasenor, ” How Technology Affects Etiquette and Social Interaction”
[35] Cavanaugh and Villasenor, ” How Technology Affects Etiquette and Social Interaction”
[36] Bindley, “When Children Text All day”
[37] Sherry Turkle, “Talk to Each Other, Not Your Phone – The New York Times,” The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia, last modified October 1, 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/opinion/talk-to-each-other-not-your-phone.html?_r=0.
[38] Feiler, “Hey, Kids, Look at me When We are Talking”
[39] Haroon Siddique, “Smartphones Are Addictive and Should Carry Health Warning, Say Academics | Technology | The Guardian,” The Guardian, last modified March 4, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/04/smartphones-addictive-make-people-narcissistic-say-academics.
[40] Gikas and Grant, ” Mobile computing devices in higher education”
[41] Cavanaugh and Villasenor, ” How Technology Affects Etiquette and Social Interaction”
[42] Gikas and Grant, ” Mobile computing devices in higher education”
[43] Keith Hampton, “Is Technology Making People Less Sociable?,” WSJ, last modified March 10, 2010, https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-technology-making-people-less-sociable-1431093491.
[44] Gikas and Grant, ” Mobile computing devices in higher education”
[45] Gikas and Grant, ” Mobile computing devices in higher education”
[46] Misra et al., “The iPhone Effect,” 281
[47] Misra et al., “The iPhone Effect,” 281
[48] Misra et al., “The iPhone Effect,” 282
[49] Gikas and Grant, ” Mobile computing devices in higher education”
[50] Gikas and Grant, ” Mobile computing devices in higher education”
