The advancement of technology has transformed communication in the contemporary world. People have embraced smartphones as their interaction tools, thus disregarding face-to-face communication. According to Kim (2017), experts are concerned that this emerging trend risks phone-use addiction. The internet inspires many individuals to spend considerable time online on various social media platforms. Therefore, there is a dire need to develop rational steps to limit the use of smartphones and strengthen one-on-one interactions.
Individuals, especially millennials and generation Z, are incredibly attached to smartphones, thus neglecting their daily duties and experiencing challenges in face-to-face interactions. In this regard, I often rely on various steps to address this behavior as a millennial accustomed to unlimited phone use. For instance, I conduct a notification cleanse involving deleting unnecessary reminders that attract my attention to the phone. This strategy helps avoid interruption in fulfilling other activities in different spheres of life (Kim, 2017). Additionally, I rearrange my apps, covering the ones I use regularly. Although I can still be drawn to using my smartphone, adding a few steps in searching for hidden apps create psychological distance. Finally, I try to keep my smartphone out of sight. I am sometimes compelled to unplug my smartphone from the charger to ensure it has no power.
The internet and the development of different social apps and platforms have led to an addiction to phone use. It has become challenging for generation Z and millennials to concentrate on other tasks. Every moment, a person feels the need to check the trending news online. The addiction to smartphone use has resulted in increased online interactions, thus adversely affecting face-to-face communication. Therefore, individuals need to cleanse notifications, hide the most-used apps, and unplug the smartphone from the power source to avoid smartphone attraction and concentrate on other daily activities and engagements.
Reference
Kim, J. H. (2017). Smartphone-mediated communication vs. face-to-face interaction: Two routes to social support and problematic use of a smartphone. Computers in Human Behavior, 67, 282-291. Web.