Smartphones: Can Smartphone’s Cause People To Be Self-Absorbed?

If someone wants to use the internet, they no longer need to sit in front of a computer; the only thing they need to do it to use a Smartphone. This means that one can go online no matter where they are or what they are doing.

As a result of this, going online has become a normal part of life as opposed to something one does every now and then. It is then easy for someone to take it for granted and to no longer appreciate what they have at their finger tips.

Age

However, this can all depend on when someone was born and whether they are able to take a step back from how they are experiencing life. For example, once one got to a certain age, they may have started to use a Smartphone.

This is then going to be the only thing they know, and they won’t have anything to compare it with. Having said that, there is also the chance that they have had moments where they don’t use their phone, and this may have allowed them to realise how different their life would be without it.

Alternatively

Yet, there are going to be others who, after reaching a certain age, had to use a normal phone (or there may have only had a landline). In this case, they are going to have an understanding of what it was like to experience life differently.

But if they use their Smartphone all the time, they may begin to wonder how they would survive without it. It has then become an integral part of their life, and it could be said that they have then lost touch with how their life used to be.

Connected

It is often said that separation is an illusion, and Smartphone’s have allowed someone to experience a greater connection to others. Not only can they send messages, they can also experience face to face communication.

This can take place between the people one lives within driving distance from, and it can include people who live on the other side of the planet, for instance. Distance is no longer a factor, and just because someone no longer lives in the same area as another person, it doesn’t mean they have to lose touch with them.

Information

If someone has a question, they don’t need to go anywhere to have it answered; they only need to use their Smartphone. This can then make it easier for them to make plans in their personal life, and for them to progress in their professional life.

Their mind can be put to rest in matter of minutes, and this means they won’t have to experience frustration. The need to experience instant gratification is something each and everyone one us has to balance with the ability to delay gratification, and through being able to have a question answered instantly, the need to delay gratification can be put to one side.

Photos

There is also no need for them to carry around a camera, and this is because there is a strong chance that their Smartphone will be able to take high quality pictures. In the past, they would have needed to carry around both.

And once they have taken a picture (or a video), they can share it with their ‘friends’ on a social media site. If they had taken a picture with a camera, it would take lot longer, and more effort would be required.

Pros and Cons

These are just a few of the benefits that someone can experience through using a Smartphone, and there are many others. However, although Smartphone’s have made a positive impact on so many people’s lives, they have also created a number of problems.

For example: when someone has a Smartphone, it is can cause them to disconnect from the people around them. And while some people will be able to use a Smartphone without losing touch with the people around them, there will be others who are unable to do so.

Self-Absorbed

When this happens, their attention will be consumed by their phone, and the people around them will merge into the background. This will mean that one won’t be aware of how their behaviour is affecting others, and therefore, they can end up being unaware of how other people are responding to them.

If someone is like this around their friends, they can come across as rude and as though they are not present, and when they are in a social setting, they can come across as lacking manners and being anti-social. It is clear to see that his kind of behaviour is not going to endear them to others.

Empathy

Through being caught up in their Smartphone, it can cause other people to come to the conclusion that they lack empathy. What is happening around them will take a back seat, and what is taking place on a screen will take precedence.

In this case, they are not going to be concerned with how other people feel, and this is going to have a negative effect on the people around them. The interactions they have in the real world are then going to suffer as a result of the interactions they are having over a screen.

Examples

If one was to use their Smartphone whilst they are crossing a road, they could set themselves up to have an accident, and if they are not affected, they could cause the oncoming driver(s) to have problems. And if they are in a social setting where there are plenty of people around, they are not going to be aware of when they are disrespecting other people’s personal space.

One may be having lunch with a friend or they could be on a ‘date’, and even though they are physically there, their attention could end up be consumed by their Smartphone. The other person can then end up feeling disrespected and as though they don’t exist. Having said that, they might not even notice, and this could be because they are doing the same thing.

Conclusion

What this shows is how important it is for someone to stay in contact with what is taking place around them. Ultimately, a Smartphone is neutral; whether someone ends up being self-absorbed or whether they are able maintain contact with the people around them will all depend on how they use it.