Using cell phones has probably seen the largest scale of popularity among people of different ages. With their functional capacity of keeping in touch with each other, cell phones introduced the idea of ‘connection over any distance’, which was later upgraded in other electronic devices. What is more, mobile phones have brought changes in social interaction, which was accompanied by declining face-to-face verbal communication.
The idea that mobile phones have spurred a new understanding of etiquette and social norms is discussed in the article “I Will Check My Phone At Dinner And You Will Deal With It” by MG Siegler. The point that the author aims at contradicting is that immersing into a cell phone when hanging out with friends is not a sign of disrespect and ignorance of proper social behavior, but a means to make communication more lively and cheerful. Indeed, teenagers often share their experiences of using a mobile phone. Thus, when the topic “revolves around the phones themselves”, young people enjoy participation in a lovely dialogue and speaking out their mind (Siegler, “I Will Check My Phone”). In addition, using a phone to surf the Internet may spur loads of ‘hot’ topics for teenagers to discuss and guarantee they have fun spending their time together. Last but not least, a mobile phone is a thing of nowadays that sets the trend of being; thus, people are to get used to the new perspective of social norms.
At the same time, using a cell phone over dinner has a number of negative aspects that cannot be set aside. First and foremost, mobile phones break the widely accepted social code of behavior which requires people to be equally engaged in communication. Therefore, “it’s considered rude” because “you are ignoring those around you” (Siegler, “I Will Check My Phone”). Secondly, it definitely seems awkward, lest to say impolite, when discussion is interrupted by someone’s answering the phone or texting a reply message. In other words, immersing in a cell phone with other people being around you is partly “antisocial” and may “lead to distractions” in the course of the conversation (Siegler, “I Will Check My Phone”). Finally, for most people a phone is a means of entertainment, which undeniably hinders mutual understanding and develops a selfish approach to communicative positions of others.
Works Cited
Siegler, MG. “I Will Check My Phone At Dinner And You Will Deal With It”. TechCruch. TechCrunch, 21 Feb. 2011. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
