INTERVIEWS

(51 y/o)

Q: How old were you when you got your first smartphone?

A: 43 y/o.

Q: How would you make plans with people with vs. without a smartphone?

A: With a smartphone I generally text people. Without I would use email, or maybe a phone call if they’re lucky.

Q: What was your main form of communication without a smartphone?

A: Email.

Q: How long do you think you could go without a smartphone?
 A: Could I? I’d like to think that I could go without one indefinitely. It might hinder my work but I could go without and eventually adapt to it and become dependent on my computer.

Q: Do you think you are more disconnected or connected with a smartphone?

A: I think I’m more connected. I’m much more apt to read news with a phone. News apps give me the inside scoop on worldwide issues. It gives me a broad range of information. I think it is true that one can become tethered to the phone, but that is a question of discipline. It does have an impact, but it is outweighed by the worldwide connection.

Q: Do you think communication now is better than when you were a child/adolescent?

A: Yes. absolutely. It is miles easier now and the time frame for a conversation is seconds instead of the days that it took with letters.

Q: Is there anything you miss about communication before smartphones?
 A: Getting a personal letter gave me a sense of effort that getting a text can’t give. A phone call is a more intentional act that requires thought. Nothing about the old way is better, just different.

Q: Do you think smartphones are a necessity?

A: Not for me, but for others it could be for various reasons. Not a necessity for communication, but apps can make smartphones necessities for different reasons.

 

 

 

SOCIAL EXPERIMENT

For our social experiment, we observed students at WWU while they walked through red square in a 30 minute period. We situated ourselves in a single spot and recorded how many people were talking on their phones or using their phones as they walked by. We discovered that about 48% of people that passed us were using their smartphone. This is a fairly high percentage considering how many people walk through red square in a 30 minute period.