Do Cell Phones Help or Hinder the Way We Communicate? @ahhinton-blog - Tumblr Blog

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Cell phones have vastly changed the way we communicate today. A cell phone can be all you need for communicating. From a cell phone you can make calls...

The basic function of a cell phone, of course, is to send and receive calls. Other uses included texting, email, GPS, games, the use of applications, and the list goes on and on. One device is all you need! In cases of an emergency, as long as the device is powered on, your location can be tracked. As far as safety goes... this is a blessing but there are some applications that track your location anyway. This of course, can be the downside (if you didn’t allow it).

Other than to communicate with others, the main benefit of having a cell phone is convenience! You can take it with you and others can reach you without being tied down to a landline. In terms of communication as a whole, cell phones allow us to connect in ways we couldn’t before. The use of apps and the internet are also largely responsible for that.

#cell phones #comm 372t

We live in a world where communication through modern technology is almost required. Everywhere people are texting, emailing, writing blogs and tweeting. It’s hard to go anywhere without seeing someone using a phone or the Internet to connect with others.

#cell phones #comm 372t

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In years before, communication was accomplished by social interaction, visiting with others, word of mouth, and through written letters. Today, we live in the cell phone era. This blog is interesting to read because the author talks about how he had to work to contact a builder, Morris, because the phone number he had listed for him was incorrect. The author states he finds it “astonishing that informal communication works at all”. He goes on to say he isn’t trying to suggest it is the better method of communication but it goes over better with those who are poor. Phones definitely make it easier to reach our intended recipients rather than trying to physically track them down or reach them by other methods. I guess the “better” method depends on who you ask.

Throughout my blog I seem to be fighting some sort of internal conflict; arguing both sides of my curation topic. This article provides many examples of how cell phones make our lives easier, allow us to connect, share information, contribute to every day life, and enhance communication.

I absolutely agree cell phones are convenient and allow us to connect more simply. What I don’t agree with is that they enhance interpersonal, face-to-face relationships. This is, of course, in the sense of I’m here with you now but I’m not really paying attention to what you’re saying because I’m texting.

Cell phones have changed our lives. I wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without mine. There are basically no such things as pay phones anymore. If something came up, how would I contact anyone if no one were around to lend me their cell phone? How could I GPS myself out of roadwork or know about hazardous road conditions?

#comm 372t #cell phones

5. You drop them and then you cry

This article is the best thing I have found for my curation project! It lists both pros and cons and I feel like it is so accurate. When I decided on my curation project, this article is everything I wanted to say! Cell phones help us to connect and stay in contact with others, capture life moments, send emails, navigate your way around town (using maps), stay up to date with current events and “in the material sense, there is no debate that they improve life”. However, as the article mentions, “although these devices add entertainment to our days, in the long run I think they hurt our quality of life”.

Cell phones distract from what’s going on in the present. You aren’t truly living in the present, or paying attention when you’re glued to your device. I love the freedom cell phones provide, how you can carry on conversations without actually having to be on the phone, but text conversations can be meant one way and perceived another. Another point is that people always have access to you and can potentially track your location (thanks, GPS). This is both a blessing and a curse.

The last point mentioned: you will never be happy with the one you have. Technology is constantly evolving, new features are always being added, better cameras, etc. I’m not as emotionally attached to my phone as some of my peers but as long as I can communicate, access my emails, and look at account information, I’m set. Of course I enjoy apps and the features my device offers but I’m not permanently glued to the screen. I know when to put it down and have normal, face-to-face conversations. My biggest pet peeve is eating at a restaurant and noticing people scrolling instead of speaking. I wish everyone shared the same values and put more effort into relationships instead of time spent on their phones.

#ruined #cell phones #comm 372t

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Although I don’t necessarily agree with everything this blog deems makes you a gadget addict, I agree that one may be too attached to their gadget/cell phone/ etc. if they’re missing life’s important moments. I would agree cell phones make it easier to connect with what’s going on with one’s friends, current events, and various other methods of communication. I do, however, think it’s important to consider what cell phones take away from. Interpersonal connections are much more important than text conversations, in my opinion. I think the bond and time everyone puts into with cell phones could be better spent elsewhere.

#comm 372t

generationintrovert

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This is so true. Often we do it without realizing it but the time we put into our phones takes away so much more valuable time we could be putting into something else. The child in this picture is looking around to see if anyone is paying attention to him only to find out everyone is staring down at their screens. Children need love, nurturing, and most of all, attention. Spend time with them and actually pay attention to them. They are only little once! Teach them, love them, nurture them, and importantly, don’t pass on bad habits (like gadget addiction)!

#truth #comm 372t

New research on how "phubbing" can torpedo relationships.

As the article mentions, smartphones play a huge role in our lives. In public and in private, people constantly stare at their phones. People don’t miss a beat staring down at their phone as they walk down the street, oblivious to others. Smartphones allow people to stay closely connected with family and friends but excessive use means that users relinquish face-to-face interactions. McDaniel and Coyne (2016) suggest that smartphones can be intrusive and interfere with face-to-face interactions, with one partner feeling upset if the other becomes too absorbed in their phone when they are spending time together. Any distraction or intrusion when partners are together might cause upset, but are intrusions caused by smartphone use more of a problem?

Hanna Krasnova and colleagues investigated jealousy in relationships in regards to cell phone use and what they found is that cell phones were used most at home, in bed, and spouses reported feeling loss of attention, anger, sadness and suffering more than any other emotion. Furthermore, the most common response, or coping strategy, to excessive cell phone use was making a request to stop using the phone. Lastly, researchers found that it was not just annoyance or the feeling of being ignored when their partner used their phone that impacted cohesion their relationship but rather, the individual’s feeling of jealousy at their partner for using their smartphone.

#comm 372t #cell phones

Some people need strict limits set; that includes 5-year-olds, and me.

The article sheds a positive light on how setting limits with your cell phones can be rewarding. Completely throwing your phone out the window is almost impossible in today’s society because of the convenience they offer. More subtle measures like no phones at dinner, in bed, or when spending time with loved ones is more do-able. As the author mentions, without the distraction phones provide, disconnecting has allowed for her family to reconnect and interact in more meaningful ways. Although it may be a challenging concept to employ, by giving those whose company you are in your undivided attention, you are less likely to misconstrue context and receive a more accurate message from the sender.

#parenting #sleep #mindfulness #family #iphone #comm 372t

The Apple Watch is coming, but some say less-sophisticated phones are the more sophisticated choice.

“A smartphone may spend most of its time in your pocket, but when it’s out it’s really out. Its big screen takes up your foreground with alerts and information from all directions. If used with discipline, a smartphone is a magic box of information. But most of the time it just hijacks your attention and self-control.”

If a device demands so much attention isn’t it fair to say it effects your ability to communicate? I guess that depends on which way you look at it. Cell phones obviously enhance communication. You can take them anywhere and reach anyone without having to actually speak! With endless emails, apps, and other helpful functions, you always have the ability to be in contact with just about anyone you choose.

This article argues that having a “worse” or older version of a cell phone allows you to focus more on the here and now. “A flip phone represents the ultimate luxury: inaccessibility. The most alluring thing about people with flip phones is the vote of confidence they are giving themselves (and their social lives) by not giving people a 24/7 way to reach them, across multiple platforms.” Inaccessibility may hinder communication with the outside world but I think it may improve communication techniques at home and face to face with other people.

The author also notes that we, as cell phones consumers, document everything we do now rather than pay attention. We Snapchat and take pictures of where we are and what we’re doing rather than soaking in the moment! It was mentioned that at Information Week, Shane O’Neill argues an Apple watch may lessen our dependence on cell phones because of the convenience it offers. In my opinion, as consumers we all have some sort of addictive property. We crave a bargain, the latest trend, and we crave attention from others. While an Apple MIGHT cut down on the time people spend looking at cell phone screens, ultimately, that’s more time they will spend staring at their watches.

#comm 372t #cell phones

Bob Schroeder letter on sad sight of mother talking nonstop on cell phone in restaurant while her young daughter sat silently, unheeded (S)

The provided scenario within this blog is why I chose “Do Cell Phones Help or Hinder the Way We Communicate?“ as the topic of my curation project. In my opinion, if you look at it in the sense of the here and now, phones can damage communication patterns with those you are present with. If you would argue that you can check emails remotely, chat with your friend on the other side of the world, or quickly text your sister, sure, communication is more easily facilitated and thus, is enhanced. I would argue being present is more important than a text conversation. You can always reply to a text or return a phone call when you’re home alone or not in the presence of others.

#telephones and telecommunications #comm 372t

Miracle Teenager Survives On His Own For Almost 6 Hours With No Wi-Fi

I saw someone shared this on our COMM 372T Facebook group page and I thought it added just the right amount of sarcastic to my curation content. How incredible it was that he survived without wifi or a single bar of service! It must have been dreadful to have to have to talk instead of text, not being able to access social media, and not talking on the phone with friends for almost six hours!

#comm 372t #cell phone addiction

mormonchannel

#fact #freeyourself #comm 372t

90sand2000forever

#the 90s #cell phones #clueless

Cell phones are believed to enable relationships by facilitating contact with those who we would not otherwise be able to have conversations or meetings with. However, they can lead to a lack of human contact and/or the development of dependency.

I’ve always thought cell phones were a great way to reach other people. The older I get however, I feel like (depending on the context you view them in) they also get in the way: interrupting dinner, texting instead of spending time with your friends, a ringer going off during a movie, etc. In one study mentioned here, Wei and Lo found mobile phone use strengthened family bonds, improved social support, and expanded psychological resources. “The main reason a call was made to or received from a family member was to show affection, an example of mobile phones enhancing the quality of social support.” Being away at school, however, and needing to reach out to family is a great example of enhanced communication. The lack of primary contact with your family has to be filled somehow.

#comm 372t #cell phones

You can now text 911 for help in some areas

Although many of the sources in my blog offer differing opinions regarding how cell phones enhance or hinder communication styles, there’s no denying texting 911 definitely enhances communication. If for some reason you aren’t able to place a voice call to dispatch, texting or sharing your location via your cell phone may just save your life!

#text911 #cell phones #comm 372t

You're jealous of your partner's smartphone

"Smartphones are fundamentally different from previous technologies, so their effect is much more powerful," Lapierre says. "I don’t want to say it's uniformly negative, but it definitely hints in that direction."

The information provided in this article is very similar to another article shared in my blog. The findings in the study indicate people are often jealous of their partner’s smartphone, specifically the attention given to the device.

Some research on how cell phones affect relationships suggests that they’re a positive influence in that calling and texting makes people happier and more secure in their relationships. Therefore, communication is enhanced. Other research states real-life interactions are dulled when a person repeatedly checks their phone and the distraction bothers the partner.

#cell phones #comm 372t

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Do Cell Phones Help or Hinder the Way We Communicate?