smart devices
In 2013, smart devices are not just a luxury, but have become a necessity. People of all ages, ranging from elementary school to senior citizens, use smart devices. Just like any other technology, there are benefits and disadvantages that come along with it. Smart devices provide countless services to its owner, and are great tools. They only become a problem when they are heavily and unnecessarily relied upon. Although people view smart devices as useful tools, nevertheless they have this potential to become a crutch by in turn negatively affecting our social skills as a result of the devices becoming addictive.
Smart devices include laptops, iPads, Kindles, iPods, tablets, and smart phones, just to name a few of the many options available. While each smart device has its own unique features, the common thread among all is the availability of Internet connection. This allows for frequent hours, meaning one doesn’t have to fit into a communication schedule; communication can now fit into their schedules. People do not have to wait to see others to communicate anymore; relationships can be kept exclusively online. However, we can become too dependent and over time slowly replace face-to-face communication with an unhealthy belief that virtual affairs are equivalent to intimate, personal relationships.
It happens all the time, one will walk into a room full of people to find them all sitting on their cell phones rather than communicating amongst each other. People use smart devices such as the cell phone as an excuse for them to get out of talking to other people, which leads to making bad habits of poor social skills. A study was performed by Jin Borae and Namkee Park, two scientists from Yonsei University, to test the “social skills deficit hypothesis”, that is the hypothesis that those who spend more time on a mobile device will have poor social skills (Borae and Park). “Poor social skills were related to less face-to-face and mobile voice communication, which
Smart devices include laptops, iPads, Kindles, iPods, tablets, and smart phones, just to name a few of the many options available. While each smart device has its own unique features, the common thread among all is the availability of Internet connection. This allows for frequent hours, meaning one doesn’t have to fit into a communication schedule; communication can now fit into their schedules. People do not have to wait to see others to communicate anymore; relationships can be kept exclusively online. However, we can become too dependent and over time slowly replace face-to-face communication with an unhealthy belief that virtual affairs are equivalent to intimate, personal relationships.
It happens all the time, one will walk into a room full of people to find them all sitting on their cell phones rather than communicating amongst each other. People use smart devices such as the cell phone as an excuse for them to get out of talking to other people, which leads to making bad habits of poor social skills. A study was performed by Jin Borae and Namkee Park, two scientists from Yonsei University, to test the “social skills deficit hypothesis”, that is the hypothesis that those who spend more time on a mobile device will have poor social skills (Borae and Park). “Poor social skills were related to less face-to-face and mobile voice communication, which
Cited: Alvarez, Lizette. "Suicide points to a rise in apps used for bullying; Parents can 't keep up as their children adopt new social media tools." International Herald Tribune Sept 16, 2013: Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. Jin, Borae, and Namkee Park. "Mobile Voice Communication And Loneliness: Cell Phone Use And The Social Skills Deficit Hypothesis." New Media & Society 15.7 (2013): 1094-1111. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. Katz, James E. Handbook of Mobile Communication Studies. Cambridge, Mass: MIT, 2008. Print. Shih, Dong-Her, et al. "Explore Dependency Syndrome on Mobile Phone User." International Journal of Mobile Communications 10.5 (2012): 475-89. ProQuest. 14 Oct. 2013. Suki, Norbayah Mohd, and Norazah Mohd Suki. "Examining Students ' Attitudes To The Mobile Phone As An Educational Tool." Journal Of Education Research 4.1 (2010): 32-44. Education Research Complete. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.