Business Analyst - June 23

Thursday, June 23, 2022
TECHNOLOGY
Mobile phones and
social interaction
In 2018, a young man attended a
job interview in Accra. As he sat
at the designated room with
others waiting to be called, he
took out his phone to browse.
For close to 45 minutes of dead
silence in the room, he lifted his head
out of curiosity to look around and then
something struck him. He realized a
similar pattern- everyone was busily
fidgeting with his or her phone.
they spent all that time in the room
but never exchanged greetings or any
form of pleasantries. that was when the
thought occurred to him as to the extent
of damage mobile phones had done to
the once vibrant Ghanaian social life.
Defining social interaction, John
Lewis Gillin and John Philip Gillin
wrote: “By social interaction we mean
the mutual or reciprocal influence,
resulting in the modification of
behaviour, exerted through social
contact and communication which, in
turn, are established by interstimulation
and response.”
Pitirim Sorokim also describes social
interaction as “any event by which one
party tangibly influences the overt
actions or the state of mind of the other.”
(Sorokin, 1928). thus, social interaction is
a reciprocal and interdependent activity.
Benefits of mobile phones
By inventing the cell phone, Martin
Cooper, widely regarded as the “Father” of
the cellular phone, gave humans the
ability to carry a device with them that
allowed for instant communication.
the major advantages to having a
mobile phone is that it is easier to express
oneself through communication and
creativity, to access entertainment, to be
safe, and to connect to the internet.
Communicating with loved ones,
colleagues, friends, and more has never
been simpler.
techspirited, a tech-savvy platform
said, “By allowing instant access to any
desired destination across the globe,
mobile phones have changed the
landscape of communication.
not only globally, cell phones are
important in day-to-day life.”
Besides the ease of communication,
expressing oneself creatively has also
never been so straightforward.
Albeit the immense benefits derived
from mobile phones, its negative impact
on social interactions cannot be
downplayed.
Cell phone technologies can create
addictive tendencies in people
Highlighting the global addictive
nature of mobile phones, thrive Global, an
American Company that provides
behavior change technology and media, to
support individuals struggling with stress
and burnout, in its article published in
“This is backed up by
a study where the UK
Post Office
commissioned
YouGov to research
whether we are
developing anxieties
related to our mobile
phone. it turns out
nearly 53 per cent of
young mobile phone
users in Britain
develop anxiety when
they cannot find their
mobile, lose signal or
break their phone!” it
added.
2018 stated that the increasing
dependence on mobile phones had
developed a fear of being away from it.
this is called “nomophobia”, which is
an abbreviation of ‘no-mobile-phone
phobia.’
“Some college students keep their
mobiles with them in their shower rooms
as per their need to be able to stay close to
connectivity,” the article said.
“this is backed up by a study where
the UK Post office commissioned YouGov
to research whether we are developing
anxieties related to our mobile phone. It
turns out nearly 53 per cent of young
mobile phone users in Britain develop
anxiety when they cannot find their
mobile, lose signal or break their phone!”
it added.
In Ghana, the situation is no different!
People can become emotionally tied to
their phones in such a way that they feel
grief, anxiety, or despair if they forget it at
home.
In public transports, the addictive
repercussions are so evident that when
one greets a passenger, instead of him or
her looking at the fellow in the face,
smiling and giving a response, the
unexpected rather happens— he or she
only nods in response while bending
towards the phone.
Some passengers even end up missing
their bus stops or leaving their valuables
behind in vehicles due to over
concentration on their mobile phones.
Excessive use of mobile phones drains
confidence and dwindles public speaking
abilities, experts say.
Mobile phones have gradually created
a generation of people who are very vocal
and highly opinionated on social media
platforms but in real life, these same
people struggle to even start a
conversation.
on university campuses, one will
notice something interesting, that some
students who were very expressive and
visible on social media, seemingly shrunk
in fear during group presentations at
lectures.
Mobile phones create constant
distractions and promote isolation
Mobile phone interruptions happen at
weddings, family gatherings, movie
theatres or offices and even at religious
gatherings. this poses a detrimental effect
on work or class productivity and slows
up the rate at which work is done. It is
true mobile phones make people
connected and the world a small village,
but if not used carefully, it can physically
isolate you from family and people
around you. one of the typical negative
impacts is where you meet a group of
young people seated around a coffee table
but not talking among themselves and
glued to their phones.
Additionally, if a teenager or partner
is too much into their mobile phone, this
can hurt the relationship with the family
or partner.
Final thoughts
the advantages and disadvantages of
cell phones show us that having more
ways to communicate with others can be
an excellent resource. Below are a few
suggestions to help you work on your
mobile phone addiction and improve
social interaction.
1. tracking your cell phone use
such as adding up how many times per
hour you check your phone can increase
your awareness about your problem. You
can download an application that tracks
your cell phone use like Checky, App off
timer, or Qualitytime. You can use this
information to set a specific goal of how
many times per hour or day you allow
yourself to check your phone.
2. Create a plan for your phone use.
Limit your cell phone use to certain times
of the day. You can set an alarm on your
phone to alert you when you have reached
your maximum time. For example, you
can allow yourself to use your phone only
from 1800 hours to 1900 hours. You can
also set up specific times not to use your
phone, such as while you are at work or
school. Write your plan and goals down to
make them more concrete. Keep a log of
which goals you’ve met and ones you are
still working on.
3. Change your phone settings.
there are settings on your phone that
may alert you every time you get an email
or Facebook notification. Make sure you
turn these off! this will reduce the
number of times your phone goes off or
vibrates. this way you are not being
notified every time something occurs.
4. remind yourself that whatever
you are wanting to check on your phone is
not that important and can wait. next
time you feel the need to use it step back
and think, “Do I really need to call/text
this person right now or can it wait until
later?”
With all that said and done, the way
you utilize your mobile phone matters. If
used wisely, a mobile phone can be one of
the best gadgets you will ever hold. You
can use it to benefit your life profitably.
Don’t let the disadvantages of mobile
phones discourage you, it’s a matter of
choosing how best it benefits you.
By Eric Appah Marfo
SOURCE: GNA