Smart phones clearly disconnect people from their surroundings. No question about that. I, for example, often check my email and Facebook from my phone instead of talking to strangers next to me. The irony here is that even though my behavior is seemingly introverted, I am still connecting to people. It’s just that I am connecting to them through electronic means. And it’s not just a few people either:
- My smartphone effectively allows me to stay in touch with a LOT more people than I ever could have possibly ever have done just a few years ago.
- I am able to stay in touch with a wide range of people that I could have easily lost connection with such as extended-family and friends I graduated with from high school and college.
So, yes, phones disconnect us from our surroundings. But they keep us connected with more people than ever before possible. I surely don’t enjoy everyone’s heads staring down, eyes buried deep in their phones, but what can you do? (You could do neck rolls and this neck stretch to loosen that neck, that’s what!)
Besides, it's not like everyone was strolling happily on the sidewalks saying 'Bonjour!' to each other before.
