Abstract

In the past few decades, the availability of new technologies and the launch of smartphones have
become a significant part in lives of individuals’. This paper investigates, what happens when in-
person socializing meets smartphones? The aim of our study was to figure out whether
socializing over smartphones or in-person is better in terms of communication, time expenditure
and connection. This research was carried out using a focus group consisting of 5 participants
from IoBM there were 4 male and 1 female participants. The age of participants varied from 18-
23. The participants were asked structured questions which were pre-decided. In the end results
showed 80% of participants believe that smartphones compromise our ability to connect and all
of them agree on socializing in person is better than socializing on smartphones.
Introduction

In 18th century there were no cellphones therefore people had to use different methods to
communicate. Letter writing was the most used method but at the same time it was unreliable as
the delivery of the letter could take about 2 weeks and the sender would not even if their letter
was delivered unless they received a response. Moreover people in 18 th century were dependent
on newspapers to read and share news. It took few years in invention of telegraph so people had
to be very patient when sending messages. In 18 th century people used face to face method of
communication more than we do today as written communication was not quick and guaranteed.

Cell phones have altered communication by allowing users to easily connect with friends, family
members, and coworkers, as well as converse with others electronically. Mobile phones allow
consumers to contact and communicate with others from nearly any location. People may use
cell phones to swiftly communicate with those nearby, across the country, and even around the
world. Cell phones allow users to converse both verbally and in writing via text messaging.
Some phones feature extra technology, such as the capacity to play music, connect to the Internet
and email servers, take photographs, and even offer directions, in addition to talking and texting.
Cell phones are a quick and effective way to communicate, however they are often criticized.
According to detractors, cell phone users spend more time staring at displays and less time
interacting face-to-face and engaging in direct interaction with others. Critics believe that doing
so lowers the quality of interactions and decreases people's capacity to think creatively and
produce complete, accurate, and meaningful phrases. Cell phones enable people to interact
nonverbally, which may lower the level of interpersonal skills among cell phone users.

Communicating in person helps people to be on the same page. Communicating face to face is
considered as a strong influencer because it helps us in controlling our behavior according to the
situation, in business or any other place it is the most successful way of putting forward your
opinions and plays an important role in convincing other party to your thoughts. Some of the
benefits of communicating in person are:

1. Since texting is the simplest and least clear method, a serious conversation might not be
appropriate in a text-only format. Talking in person can be uncomfortable, sure, but it can also
lead to fewer misunderstandings and can be less time consuming than a long text thread.
2. Most of the human communication consists of body language. When you see the way how
person you are talking to is reacting, you can understand how they are feeling. In face to face
communication you get live feedback translated through their body language and facial
expressions. Communicating over phone would never give you this advantage. You can also hear
the tone of voice which makes it easier to interpret how the person is feeling. Conversely, you
are also able to show your own emotions and reactions.

3. One more benefit is that when talking in person, feeling of friendliness develops which boosts
relationships where as on phones we can’t build camaraderie. Communicating in person helps in
engaging and persuading by making a positive climate and bond between you are the person

4. In communicating face to face, when you make an effort of actually seeing the person and
when you make sure you are listening to them through your expressions you will show the other
person that you value them. You will make them feel that what they are saying is important and
this way you can also make sure that they are listening to you too.

Hence after having a look at these benefits we can say that making the effort for face to face
communication is definitely worth it. The benefits communicating in person are much more than
the disadvantages. It is time to break free from cyber communication and go back to effective
face to face communication.

Smartphones have drastically changed the way people work, socialize and entertain themselves.
A smartphone can do all that a man requires from making calls to sending messages, emails,
direction, online banking, online shopping, and much more. It has made communication with our
friends and family easier like never before from making a quick call to sending a message with
emoji. Other than traditional calls and messages we have applications such as whatsapp which
runs on data or wifi and therefore there is no such stress of running out of a call or text allowance
on your phone. Such social platforms are a great way to reach out to friends. video call is another
way of communication which means people can talk face to face not exactly like talking in
person but close to it, which means you can stay in touch with people who live abroad or you can
even conduct a meeting virtually. Email is another effective method of communication. It is
usually used for working purpose as you get the ability to draft and respond to emails while on
your daily commute.
There are several pros and cons of in person socializing and socializing through smartphone.

Pros of in person socializing:

These visual clues often boost two people's capacity to communicate successfully with each
other without losing a single nuance of the message. Moreover, Increases trust and openness.
Face-to-face encounters are often beneficial in fostering trust and understanding among the
persons conversing. This channel of communication is very crucial in business and when
significant decisions must be made.

Sharing of vital information during a one-on-one meeting in a boardroom gives attendants a vital
opportunity to brainstorm over a task without the limitations and confines of time.

This is as opposed to channels of communication such as phone-based conversations or even

videoconferencing where meetings may be cut short as a way of reducing on communication
costs.

Sharing crucial information at a one-on-one meeting in a boardroom provides attendees with an

invaluable chance to discuss on a topic without the constraints and constraints of time.

This is in contrast to communication methods like as phone talks or even videoconferencing,

where meetings may be curtailed short in order to save communication expenses.

Cons of in-person socializing:

When a large corporation wants to convene leaders from all branches, face-to-face
communication might be disadvantageous.

Finding a common time for such leaders to gather for a face-to-face meeting may be too difficult,
especially considering the busy schedules of each leader or manager. The cost of convening a
conference in a large corporation with several branches, the expense of hosting a conference
might be extremely significant. To mediate a face-to-face meeting, each attendant would have to
spend money travelling from one location to another only to attend a meeting. While the cost
may not be a major worry in a large firm with sufficient money, holding two or three meetings
every month would be a logistical headache that would likely increase operating costs. However,
large group gatherings are ineffective. When there are a significant number of people in
attendance at face-to-face meetings, communication can become severely hampered. Large
meetings may be tedious, especially when a single individual speaks for hours.

Pros of socializing through smartphones:

It helps to keep in touch with our loved ones via phone calls, text messages, or photographs. This
expresses the emotion in a lovely and funny manner. You may know where you are and can
identify quick methods and routes to go anyplace, even if you are in an unfamiliar location. In a
single gesture, you can have the entire world listen to your voice. However, it is much easier to
communicate as people are constantly socially available.

Cons of socializing through smartphones:

Miscommunication may occur due to a lack of tangible indicators in online forums. There is a
high chance of misunderstanding without the use of facial expressions and gestures, as well as
the capacity to retreat quickly. Thus, information overload may occur in busy online discussion
forums. A huge number of communications can be overwhelming and difficult to follow, even
stressful. Moreover, Individuals may find online forums ineffective. It takes longer than spoken
dialogue, therefore it's difficult to respond to all of the points in a message, leaving questions
unaddressed.
Literature review

Effect of smart phones on social lives

This study investigated the duration of time spent on smartphones by individuals of different age
groups. This study conducted a survey on 13 questions, asking participants about their daily
usage and time spent on smartphones, as well as the social media applications they use. 20
individuals participated in this study. The results proved that majority of participants spend 3-5
hours using their smartphones, about 75% of participants responded saying they use instagram
and facebook more often than other applications. According to this study individuals of 18-30
age range are the ones most affected by in their social interactions due to their dependence on
smartphones as these young individuals use smartphones as their main source of communication.

Smartphone use undermines enjoyment of face-to-face social interactions

Using a field experiment and experience sampling, we discovered the first evidence that phone
use may reduce people's enjoyment of real-world social encounters. In Study 1, we recruited over
300 community members and students to dine out with friends or family at a restaurant.
Participants were allocated at random to either leave their phones on the table or put them away
throughout the meal. Participants felt more preoccupied when their phones were present (vs.
absent), which affected how much they liked spending time with their friends/family. In Study 2,
we observed consistent results using experience sampling; when individuals used their phones
during in-person meetings, they felt more distracted and reported lesser enjoyment. According to
this study, despite their potential to link us to people all over the world, phones may hinder the
benefits we gain from connecting with individuals across the table.

“Having your smartphone nearby takes a toll on your thinking”

In recent research it was investigated that to what extent having phones nearby influence your
cognitive abilities? Cognitive ability is essential for assisting us learn, reason, and broaden
innovative. Remember about the last time you went out for a movie or with your friends, was
your phone nearby? In all these cases having your phone might have harmed your cognitive
functioning. In an experiment 800 people were ask to complete a task, some of them had phones
in their pockets and some of them had it in other room. The results were very noticeable and
distinct. People performed best when phone was far. People with phone close by performed
worst. Hence it was seen how phones can unfavorably affect your thinking and problem solving
ability. The research suggests that due to its immense value, we always feel that our phone is
calling us just like gravitational pull. The more people are connected to phones, the more
negative impact it has on you. With these findings it is concluded that when phones aren’t
necessary or when being mentally present is important putting the phone away can be valuable.

The effects of mobile device use on social interactions among college students

In order to determine the impact of cellphones on our face-to-face social encounters, this study
employed an experimental design consisting of 37 students from Central Florida University.
Each participant entered the research either with or without their phone, and interacted with a
stooge. When the participant interacted with the confederate, he attempted to maintain a back-
and-forth conversation without forcing it to continue. Every time the participant engaged in a
conversation, it was recorded as data. No interactions from the confederate were counted. The
study reached to the conclusion that, contrary to their hypothesis, cell phones had no influence
on the impact of face-to-face interactions based on their limited sample. The results
demonstrated no statistically significant evidence that cell phones reduced the number of
encounters or the length of time spent on each interaction.

Can you connect with me now? How the presence of mobile communication
technology influences face-to-face conversation quality.

Despite recent improvements in communication technology allowing billions of people to

communicate across long distances via mobile phones, little is known about how devices' regular
presence in social contexts affects face-to-face interactions. This study tested how much the mere
presence of mobile communication devices influences relationship quality in dual settings in two
experiments. To investigate this, two experiments were conducted in which pairs of strangers
engaged in a brief relationship formation task, adapted from previous research (Aron et al.,
1997). The number of participants totaled 142 in both the experiments. Evidences discovered
that they can have detrimental consequences for intimacy, connection, and conversation quality
in both cases. These findings show that the presence of mobile phones can disrupt human
connections, with the effect being most noticeable when people are discussing serious issues.
Methodology

Research design: A focus group is a research strategy that gathers 6-10 individuals in a room to
discuss a certain topic or issue. A qualified moderator leads a 20-25-minute group discussion
geared to acquire useful information.

Sample: Respondents comprised of 5 adolescents from our university (80% males and 20%
females). 40% are aged between 18-19 whereas 20% of the sample is 20-21 years of age.While
the rest 40% is aged between 22-23. All these participants had olevels and Alevels background
while currently they were enrolled in their bachelors program. Concerned about their
socioeconomic class 60% of the sample was from the middle class and the rest 40% belonged to
the lower class. The sample was approached through random sampling.

Instruments: The following are the metrics employed in the current study.

Consent Form: Following data collection, participants completed a brief permission form that
covered the basic details of the investigation. It was emphasised that they have the right to
decline participation or withdraw at any moment throughout the study without penalty. They
were assured that no bodily or psychological damage would befall them. Furthermore,
individuals were made aware that the information they submitted would be kept strictly secret.

Demographic Form: A demographic form was created, which included questions about their
personal and professional lives.

Procedure: Questions were selected and structured in an appropriate way to be used in the
research.A group of participants was made to sit together to carry out a discussion about the
topic.

Prior to answering the questions, the individual provided informed consent. The participants
were assured of the focus group's secrecy. They were properly informed of their rights as
participants, including the freedom to withdraw, refuse to answer a question, or terminate at any
time. Following the recording of permission, participants were prompted to complete a brief
demographic form before the discussion could begin. The discussion lasted about 15-20 minutes
on average.The interview was audio recorded while simultaneously observers noted down the
responses which were then used to analyze the results.
Results

The results showed that 20% participants spent 18-20hrs as all their tasks are smartphone
oriented such as writing assignments to taking online class and even socializing. While the 80%
participants spent around only 5-10. The findings showed that all of the participants got phone in
their teenage, 60% of them got at the age of 13-14, while 40% of them got at the age of 17-
18.according to our finding 100% of participants believed that communicating in person is far
better than communicating on smartphones as they were able to communicate without any
barriers such as there was no internet lagging, no signals issues or no dying battery. They
believed that communicating in person leads to less miss understandings and people are able to
take their stance more clearly and it was easier for them to identify whether the other person is
genuine or not this leads to knowing the reality of person and choosing them as your friend
wisely. The participants were asked about the age a child should be given a smartphone and they
heavily resisted on giving them before teenage. 40% of the participants said that a child should
be given a smartphone in ages between 13-15 while the rest 60% said in ages between 16-19. As
asked about the way they feel more comfortable in interacting ,through smartphone or in person
and all of them agreed to face to face interaction or in person socializing because they believed
that through in person communication expressions are exposed, reality is not distracted and there
are less chances for arguments being created. When participants were asked that, “have phones
resulted in maintaining long distance relationships with their friends or relatives” all the five
participants strongly denied adding that phones have never helped them maintain long distance
relationships with anyone at any point at their lives. Our next was question to them was that
“have you ever wanted to take a break from your phone and how long did it last?” to which all
them responded by saying ‘yes’. One participant commented that “break only lasts till we wake
up… or when we are in university” which concludes that people really do try to take a break
from their phone, though it is nearly impossible because of how important part of our lives it has
become. Another participant said that it was when his phone was stolen however one participant
told us that he deliberately took a break of 2 days from his phone due to some personal issues
and thought that his phone might further spoil some issues.
Discussion
Interpretation:
The purpose of our study was to investigate then what really happens when in person socializing
meets smart-phone? After the focus group was conducted the results were quite striking. Some of
the participant admitted to having used their phones while meeting people and some said it’s
because they want to strengthen their interactions. However most of the participants agreed to
the fact that phones have affected their communication negatively and would prefer
communicating face to face rather than over phone, adding the benefits of in person socializing
that there is less chances of misunderstandings, leads to stronger relationships and you are able to
know about someone’s personality by reading their expressions and body language which is not
possible over phone.

Implications:
The results corroborate the claims of Gwendolyn Seldman mentioned in her research which she
conducted in 2018. The experiment she conducted concluded that having additional interactions
through social media makes you feel more connected but in most cases having your phone
during a social interaction might reduce your engagement in the conversation. Similarly, in our
research it was found out that people feel comfortable communicating in person without having
their phones nearby so it is better to avoid phones when you are in a gathering. Likewise, a
research done by Kristen Duke, Adrian ward and Marten in 2018 on “having your phones nearby
takes a toll on your thinking” also mentioned how phones can have a negative impact on our
problem solving and thinking ability.
During our research, participants apprised that they would always choose communicating in-
person over communicating on phone and one of the reasons they mentioned was that, face to
face communication gives them joy and this joy is never achieved while having conversation on
the phone. This verifies the research of Ryan Dwyer and Kostadin Kushlev made in 2017 “smart-
phone use undermines enjoyment of face to face social interactions”. In the experiment they
conducted participants were asked to keep their phones with them during their meal. Results
showed how participants felt distracted when they had their phones in front of them, due to
which they weren’t able to enjoy the gathering.

Limitations:
•The generalizability of the results is limited by the fact that we might have formulated the
questions of research too broadly, our questions included from how much time do you spend
using your smart-phone to have you ever wanted to take a break from it. It could have been
narrowed so that the focus of study could be increased.
•The results are sometimes not that authentic due to lack of experience. As currently we don’t
have extensive experience in data collection and research through focus group there is a chance
that the nature of data collection method is inaccurate or erroneous.
•Literature review plays a significant role in any research as it helps to associate the scope of
work that has been done so far in this particular research. Literature findings are quite important
to the researcher in a way that he uses it to achieve his research objectives. In our research we
have used an evolving research problem. The features of phone keeps changing with time, we
can say the phone evolves every day. That means the research conducted today might differ from
research conducted three years back. Though in our case the results were quite similar, still there
is a need to understand that in case of smart-phones, new features and technology increases
attraction towards phone so the results of research we conducted might vary with the past
researchers
•The reliability of data is also affected by sample size. Our focus group included 6 participants.
Considering that in today’s era, everyone uses phone from a kid to an aged man or from a bus
driver to high post manager we can say the sample size was quite small or a different method of
research could have generated more authentic results. If sample size is small especially in cases
like these, statistical tests will not be able to identify important relationships within data.
Conclusion
References
Literature review

https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1590&context=ots_masters_projects

Smartphone use undermines enjoyment of face-to-face social interactions | Request PDF

(researchgate.net)

https://hbr.org/2018/03/having-your-smartphone-nearby-takes-a-toll-on-your-thinking

https://firescholars.seu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1081&context=honors

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0265407512453827

Introduction

https://www.ericsson.com/en/about-us/history/communication/how-the-telephone-changed-the-
world/how-mobile-phones-have-changed-our-lives

https://www.quora.com/What-did-people-in-the-past-do-without-phones

http://demibooks.com/life-without-cell-phone

https://www.lifesize.com/en/blog/importance-face-to-face-communication/#:~:text=Increase
%20credibility&text=It's%20built%20through%20face%20to,words%20and%20enhances
%20your%20credibility.

https://www.history1700s.com/index.php/articles/24-science-and-technology/2138-before-cell-
phones-how-did-people-communicate-during-the-18th-century.html

8 Disadvantages of Online Communication - Bang The Table

https://eztalks.com/unified-communications/what-are-the-benefits-of-face-to-face-
communication.html

https://www.zenruption.com/zentech/1/16/how-smartphones-make-communication-easier

7 Pros and Cons of Face to Face Communication in the Workplace | SmallBizClub

What are the advantages and disadvantages of smartphones? (tutorialspoint.com)