Wk5ForumComm135.docx

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Smartphones and Social Interactions

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Smartphones and Social Interactions

To a large extent, smartphones erode the ability to truly listen and see people that are around us. In the video by Gary, the presenter acknowledges he has 422 friends yet he is lonely and none of them is known to him (Gary, 2014). He continues to argue in the dispensation of smartphones, people will spend hours together while engaged on smartphones while maintaining no eye contact (Gary, 2014). It is evident that social fabric and interaction that is a true embodiment of human beings, emphatic listening, maintaining of eye contact are aspects of social interaction that have been eroded by continuous engagement of people over the smartphones creating isolation, loneliness and lack of true social connection with perceived social interaction and inclusion turning out to be an illusion (Suttie, 2015). The presence of people and actively listening is critically important in social interaction and also in the process of creating true and dependable friendships comparable to love that are hardly found in the current dispensation of smartphones and overall modern communication technologies.
Communicators are demoralized from engaging in social interaction because interruption engineered through smartphones, lack of emphatic listening and eye contact demonstrates disinterest in what is being peddled by the communicators. Additionally, communication is a two-way process- speaker and recipient. Therefore, when recipients are alienated from the speaker because of smartphone devices, then the communicator has to cease communicating because there is no response or expected social interaction in the communication.
Considering the impact of smartphones in destroying conversation and social interaction among people, it is necessary to educate people that empathy, intimacy, introspection and creativity are essential elements in the social interaction and completeness of human beings that are promoted through a true social interaction and communication where two parties are actively involved. Second, programs should be launched to educate people on the way technologies are hurting human and social interactions to help people see a need for limiting the use of smartphones and other technologies when engaged in conversation. Finally, educating people on the importance of presence, maintaining eye contact and recommend the creation of sacred places that are device-free for conversation purposes only (Suttie, 2015). Technology is good, people cannot live without it but people must strike balance on how to live with greater harmony with it.

References

Gary, T. (2014). Look Up | Gary Turk (Official Video). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY
Suttie, J. (2015). How Smartphones Are Killing Conversation. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_smartphones_are_killing_conversation