To my opinion, the basic model of interpersonal communication can be employed to facilitate the understanding of the influence of smartphone usage since the definition of basic interpersonal communication can apply to a smartphone conversation: it involves two or more individuals and reflects their roles and characters. In this case, the basic model can help to understand how smartphone usage changes the communication between people. However, the model can only be used to understand how people speak to each other via smartphones, while smartphones serve multiple different purposes such as internet search.
The use of smartphones has impacted the way of professional communication between business people. The exchange of messages has become faster, and people are expected to respond quickly since their smartphones allow them to do it even if they are in a place where they are not allowed to text. Smartphones help businessmen to remain in contact with their travel partners. In addition, many entrepreneurs use social media for business communication. However, some of them resist the impact of smartphones. They continue using e-mail via their desktop computers and stay out of social media (Nelson & Quick, 2012, p. 233).
Smartphone usage has also transformed how college students communicate. Nowadays, college students mostly prefer texting their friends to having a verbal conversation with them. The most widespread type of communication between college students is a long texting conversation. Such a conversation can take place while the communicators are supposed to do something else, for example, listen to their professor in class. Smartphones help college students to stay in touch with their friends without actually seeing them (Nelson & Quick, 2012, p. 233).
It is often said that the development of technology makes people technologically connected but disconnected personally at the same time. To my opinion, such sayings are no more than fear of the new. Since people learned to build houses, they tend to avoid each other and keep as much personal space as they can. In earlier times, people would exchange letters if the distance is long or send each other notes with a messenger if it is short.
They would meet in person in two cases: they wanted to see a particular person or they had to do it out of their job responsibilities. The development of technology allows to reduce the latter, but people continue doing the former: arrange romantic dates, attend parties and other social events, and go out for a pizza with friends. Technology does not make us disconnected personally; it merely demonstrates that we do not want to be connected to many people.
References
Nelson, D., & Quick, J.C. (2012). Organizational behavior: Science, the real world, and you (8th ed.). Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning.