There is considerable debate whether smart mobile phones are harmful for the social interaction among people or they enable them to remain in contact. Although some favour the viewpoint that smartphones are reducing the social interaction among individuals, I believe that they may provide them with a significant opportunity to stay connected.
On the one hand, those who believe smartphones harm human interaction point out that people rely on them for a wide range of activities including calling, chatting, video calling and posting contents on social media plateforms. They argue that people consid these communications as social interaction and avoid to meet them physically. For instance, studies show that 60% of our communication channel is comprised of digital tools while physical interaction madeup only 40% of the channel, which is alarming. As a result, people are increasingly depending on digital tools to convey messages or to communicate with one another, resulting in the reducation of physical social interaction.
On the other hand, it is widely acknowledged that smartphones are providing people with cost-effective facilities to communicate with one another, hence improve the social interaction among them. Individuals use social media apps including Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook and Messanger to stay connected. For example, a study conducted in the University of Lahore revealed, people are more familiar with each other and they stay more close than they did in the past before the invention of smartphones. Consequently, they stay connected through these digital tools, which provide them with a fast, feasible and accessible way of interaction.
In conclusion, although it is often argued that smartphones are destroying the social interaction, I believe that these devices are actually facilitating communication among the people and help them to stay connected through a fast and accessible way.