Free Essay - Cell Phones Create a Barrier to Social Connections

Mobile telecommunication devices have become an integral component of modern day communication. With the advent of mobile internet and social media, people can interact with family, friends, and even strangers on multiple platforms over the internet. Easy access, portability, and freedom of communication are some of the advantages associated with cell phone usage. Cell phones divides an individuals attention and interferes with continuity of social connections. Despite all these opportunities for communication, cellular phones are hindering social connections because they have replaced actual human interaction, reduced the application of communication skills, and limited the use of actual social interaction skills.

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Cell phones are creating a barrier to social connections because they are slowly replacing human interaction. Individuals in the same group would prefer to engage in chats instead of face-to-face communications. Mobile phone owners are often engrossed in their mobile phones while ignoring the people around them. For example, children would rather focus on their phones instead of speaking to their parents or siblings. Equally, parents also ignore their children when responding to constant calls, messages, and emails.

Secondly, cell phones are creating a barrier to social connection by reducing the application of communication skills. Skills such as listening skills, speaking skills, use of proper grammar, and feedback have been affected significantly. Cell phones have changed the way we use words and their meanings by promoting the use of slang. Examples of alterations of English words include abbreviations such as Bcos to mean because and acronyms such as YOLO meaning, You Only Live Once. The X and Y generation are facing increasing challenges trying to communicate with Millennials because of how they misuse conventional grammar.

Lastly, cell phones inhibits the growth of social connections by limiting the use of social interaction skills. In the past, people interacted face-to-face forcing them to learn how to be polite, respectful, and empathetic. Nowadays, more people are choosing impersonal texts and calls to communicate very personal information such as a death or relationship breakup. People would rather remain glued to the LED screens of their phones than maintain straight face-to-face conversations. Furthermore, through social media, people can have friends they have never met and block people they do not wish to interact with anymore without offering any explanations.

Although cell phones have increased communication through text messages, voice calls and mobile internet, they have also barred actual social connections. Cell phones have replaced actual human interaction as people ignore each other to concentrate on their devices. They have also reduced the quality of the social connections by limiting the use of proper communication skills and social interaction skills. People should find strategies to utilize cell phones to promote person-to-person interaction instead of using them to replace interpersonal interaction.