One of the most influential technological innovations that have affected numerous people as well as mine is the mobile phone. With the advent of different changes and advances in cellphones, it has become a hub where people can do almost anything with it. Although the scope of functions of mobile phones has exponentially risen throughout the years, it still primarily serves as a means of communication. Through the wide popularity of social media sites nowadays, people are lulled into a sense of connectivity in a virtual space, but this sense is often challenged by the loss of some interpersonal skills when dealing with real people.
“Social media sites allow teens to accomplish online many of the tasks that are important to them offline: staying connected with friends and family, making new friends, sharing pictures, and exchanging ideas” (AAP 801). It is easier now to find and connect with people using the internet. Coupled with the mobility of using cell phones, you can almost always stay online and connected throughout the day. As an example, when I meet someone new for the first time in real life, it’s easy to find his profile in a social media site and there I can already get a glimpse of what his personality is like. Due to the mobile phone’s ability to connect people despite not being in the same space physically, you can talk for an extended period of time without having to think about when to cut off the conversation. Although this extended connectivity has its perks, it also has negative connotations. The thought of anyone having the ability to find your profile at any time compromises some privacy concerns that even privacy settings are unable to address.
Another problem that mobile phones can produce is when people simply lose the concept of when to put your phone down. “A major issue has been multitasking: texting while attending a class lecture or business meeting; talking on the phone while sitting at a restaurant with a friend; texting while crossing the street; talking or texting while driving” (Baron 4). Due to online connectivity, some people are unable to disconnect with the virtual space and to focus on the real world. One of the problems I had when communicating online, is the peer pressure that you are subjected to. Because of how easy it is to be contacted, you are expected to always be online when your friends are also online. This is also sometimes stressful because you can hang out with your friends almost anytime of any day when you yourself would sometimes just want to do something by yourself. This causes a problem because it disrupts your priorities and focus.
These negative connotations can be compensated by its positive ones. It’s easier to find people who shares the same passion or interests as you in social media. By joining these groups and/or communities, you get a sense of belongingness that you might not otherwise find in the real world. These communities can be in the form of private or public groups in social networking sites, or in forums where people can discuss various topics that interest them. You can also find people that may help you establish a network of business contacts in the future that may help you find jobs or other opportunities (Neelamalar and Chitra 126).
Mobile phones were only used before to call and text message people, whereas it now has several other functionalities that replaces other media. Using your mobile phone, you can read news articles and watch videos that interest you. Simply put the mobile phone, through its transition into what is now called a smartphone, and has replaced other gadgets that are required for that specific form of entertainment. Although this is not a problem in itself, the fact that you can do almost anything with your phone has you pinned down to not being able to know when to put it down anymore.
In terms of interpersonal skills, I sometimes find it a problem to connect with people who I am speaking to face-to-face. Because we spend a lot of time in the virtual space, sometimes we lose the ability to speak comfortably and flawlessly with a person we’re right in front of. Oftentimes, this creates an awkward situation wherein people would simply reach out for their phone and interact with it rather than interact with the people they are with. Although it creates humorous anecdotes that I may share with people, this is starting to affect more and more people and they stop trying to adjust to what is considered conventional norms. As an example of this behavior that I have witnessed myself, is when I saw a group of people in a table across from me, with all their phones out and their faces glued to it, instead of trying to talk with each other. It’s rather questionable and funny if you think about the purpose of their meeting when they themselves are not mentally present.
“You can tell what a culture values by what it has in its bags and pockets. Keys, combs, and money tell us that property, personal appearance or trade matter. But when the object is expensive, a more significant investment has been made” (Agar 1). Mobile phones nowadays are now so integrated in our lives, that if one asks about what they will have difficulty not having, they will probably answer their phone. Mobile phones have transitioned into a state of being a commodity into that of a necessity and vice versa. It’s a cycle that can still be seen nowadays, through Apple’s products, where people would buy the latest and more expensive ones in order to show some kind of higher social status. Although that statement is arguable, it is logical to state that those are commodities rather than necessities. The same goes for other brands as well, as people would buy new models, despite having mostly the same functions, albeit undergoing an upgrade.
One of the bigger problems that I see now with not only myself but with younger people as well is that it’s hard to part with your mobile phone. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see children having and playing with a smartphone. In itself, it isn’t much of a problem. However, if you think of its effects in the long run, children who grow up fiddling with their phones instead of playing with other children will have a harder time adjusting to a society that requires social interaction. Humans are social in nature and they will always find someone to interact it, whether it be virtually or personally. It’s a lesson that should be addressed to people of varying ages: that we need to get out more and talk with other people personally instead of just virtually. I am not saying that using mobile phones has only affected people negatively, but sometimes we still need to know when to stop. We need to learn how to keep a conversation going with someone we just met, and personally I prefer talking to someone face-to-face instead of just through the LCD screen of our smartphones.
Works Cited
Agar, Jon. Constant Touch: A Global History of the Mobile Phone. Cambridge: Icon Books. 2003. Print.
American Academy of Pediatrics. The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents and Families. Pediatrics, April 2011. Web. 15 March 2016.
Baron, Naomi. “The Dark Side of Mobile Phones”. 3 August 2010. Web. 15 March 2016.
Neelamalar, M., and P. Chitra. “New media and society: A Study on the impact of social networking sites on indian youth”. Estudos em Comunicac¸ao 6 (2009): 125-145. Web. 15 March 2016.
