Public Displays of Disaffection

"Public Displays of Disaffection" by Anne Kingston, exposes the negative effects of social media devices such as cell phones on day to day human encounters. She states that through "displaying distracted behavior (Kingston)," "expressing 'cell-fishness' (Kingston), " and putting "personal and business relationships [...] at risk (Kingston)," cell phones are drastically damaging the way that members of society interact with each other. As a member of a younger generation whose peers are plagued by cell phone addictions, I must agree with Kingston. Cell phone use in class is a strong example of the distracted behavior that is often associated with the use of cell phones. It is a common sight to walk into a class room mid-lesson to many not-so sly students frantically twitching their thumbs on the screen of the newest touch screen device. This behavior is not only damaging to the students whose lack of attention impales their ability to retain information but also to the teachers who are constantly and rudely distracted or forced to intervene. Adding to the overall negative connation that is applied to cell phones is the user's " 'cell-fishness' (Kingston)." It is a regular occurence to be shoved into or thoughtlessly ignored when face to face with a keen cell phone user. The devices are incredibly attention seeking, making it hard for the user to pull away, in fear of missing that shared photo on Facebook or the latest cyber fight taking place via Twitter. Perhaps the most severe consequence of this technological obsession is the lack of real human encounters. Where older generations would simply thank one another by picking up the phone of delivering a handwritten note, in this day and age it is far simpler to "send a thank-you note via email (Kingston)." What is to happen when our generation reaches the age where public speaking and personal interactions can not be avoided? Where will the skills be developed to grow the relationships required to thrive in a business environment? Despite their flaws I still believe that there are times and places where cell phones use is acceptable. Although their use in class can be a drawback, it can be useful to look up information and statistics for school based assignments. Texting can also be a fantastic way to instantly contact someone such as a parent or friend. However the use of cell phones in restaurants and throughout personal conversations is nothing but blatantly rude and obnoxious. I do not believe that cell phone jammers should be used in schools for reasons such as emergencies or utilization of internet resources. However, I would agree with banners being put in movie theatres to prevent the annoyance of cell phone interruptions and pirating of movies using cell phones.