#Impact of Smartphones on Socialisation
Senior Citizens today have memories of standing in
queues to book train tickets, pay various utility bills, purchasing movie
tickets, and for many other purposes. Those were the things of the past. Now,
one can book train, airline, and even bus tickets through various apps on a
smartphone. One can use a smartphone to pay multiple utility bills and for many
other purposes. Today, one rarely visits a bank to withdraw or deposit money,
since most transactions are conducted online. One does not need to visit shops or
departmental stores to purchase daily needs, as there are apps that allow
online orders with home delivery.
2. Uses of Smartphones: Before the invention of smartphones, a simple
mobile phone was used for calling other people. Thereafter, some features were
added, i.e., Short Message Service (SMS) and some games. But after the
invention of smartphones, many apps were developed that enabled us to use this
gadget not only for calling others but also for making payments and booking
online tickets for trains, buses, and airlines. There are apps for booking
hotels, stock trading, paying utility bills, booking gas cylinders, etc. Smartphones
are used as cameras to take photographs and videos. Smartphones have
multipurpose uses, giving people much comfort when availing services from home
with a click of a button, without spending much time. Thus, smartphones save
people energy and valuable time.
3. How smartphones affected our social life: Though
smartphones save our energy and valuable time, they have impacted our family
and social life. It has obviated the need to go outside to obtain certain
services, such as buying vegetables, groceries, and other daily necessities. Online
and mobile banking reduced footfall at the bank’s premises. Similarly, online
booking of train tickets through mobile apps reduced footfall at reservation
counters, resulting in fewer ticket counters. This has reduced human interaction,
resulting in fewer acquaintances. No doubt, various mobile apps have helped
busy working people optimise their valuable time. On the other hand, retired senior citizens
are struggling to pass the time. They are also struggling to socialise
themselves. Moving out to purchase daily needs or to avail banking and other
services helped them interact with others, thereby widening their circle of
known people. Using mobile apps to
access various services from home reduced one’s circle of known people. We all know the days before smartphones, when
one used to visit friends' houses for socialisation. Landlines and simple
mobile phones reduced the need to see friends’ houses, as one used to talk to
friends over the telephone. But the invention of smartphones has even reduced
the need to call friends. Instead, they started sending and receiving messages
through WhatsApp. I don’t know when I last called my best friend because we use
WhatsApp messages, and that's limited to sending Good Morning and Good Night messages.
I am not surprised to see people engaged with their smartphones even in a
social gathering. Even in a family get-together, all the family members,
instead of talking with each other, are busy on their smartphones.
4.
Smartphones enabled us to connect with people on various social media
platforms. One may have thousands of friends on a social media platform, but have interactions with only a few that can be counted on the fingers of one
hand. Smartphones, though, have
negatively impacted our family and social life, but with clever use, one can
use them as a tool to increase social and friend circle. Make it a point to
call at least five people from your friend list on a social media platform
every day. Have a get-together with at least five people every weekend. In this
way, one can expand their circle of friends and spend quality time with both
old and new friends by using social media platforms.
5. Conclusion:
Though the use of smartphones adversely affected our family and social life,
with clever use, one can use a smartphone as a tool for increasing one's social
circle.
