Look Up: The Smartphone Panic

VoiceThread Text-Only Copy ________________________________________________________________________________ I was in my own little world, detached from humanity, thumbing my Facebook news feed on my iPhone. I floated between cyberspace and real life the entire conversation with my mum, hoping I was agreeing with her at the appropriate times. I was interrupted by Mum's exclamation: "I'm trying to talk to you - look up! Put your phone away, otherwise you'll miss it." I thought, miss what? "Life," Mum said sarcastically. This made me think. We connect to others to formulate and maintain relationships, share experiences and learn to understand others, and ourselves.. right? Connection via phone media is not enhancing this. It had me ignoring life around me. I think it's setting us up for isolation. What compels me to connect online when I'm in the company of others? It confronted me like a smack in the face. With a companion - my mum - sitting right next to me, I wondered why I was seeking companionship through my social networks. What does this say about me? What does this say about the smartphone generation I'm a part of? I don't recall deciding status updates, emails and tweets to be more important than my mum. This device in my hand illustrated just how psychologically powerful it was, within this small experience. This prompted me to explore the current smartphone panic we're facing. The use of media in our own private sphere experience has undergone a massive transition in the Web 2.0 era. Our smartphones are evolving the experience of our personal viewing and consumption, and where this experience is occurring. The smartphone era demonstrates new media with ubiquitous connectivity, the shift in the mobility of audiences, and the unrestricted places that these audiences can engage in this media, across the globe. This marks the interrelation between media, audiences and their spatial nature. Though, smartphones haven't just changed our consumer habits. They're changing who we are. It only takes a walk down a busy street to see that smartphone users are in their private bubbles when on their devices (Augustin 2012). Their detachment from their surroundings while engaged in their own "bubble" means the greater public sphere is becoming a myriad of portable private spheres (Augustin 2012). The panic is that eyes are locked on glowing phones instead of each other over a conversation. We have become accustomed to "denying each other our full attention" removing ourselves from the reality of everyday situations and instead, "we go into our phones" (TEDtalksDirector 2012). Smartphones are proving to be dehumanising, through the rituals and routines that we are using this technology. We are easily tempted by their potential to connect to a wider social network, which inhibits our value in trying to connect with the person or place right in front of us (Kruszelnicki 2013). Some may ask: does it really matter? I think it absolutely does. The smartphone panic marks a prominent shift in the way we relate to others, ourselves and our sense of place. We are experiencing feelings of discontent with the conscious environment, company or conversation we have in the real and present world, because there are so many other cyberspaces we could also be (TEDtalksDirector 2012). It's a constant battle of being one place and wanting to be in another. The concern is that modern audiences are seeking ultimate control of their connections - we can't fully control face-to-face interaction and feelings, so we turn to technology to connect in ways we can comfortably control. I have a personal smartphone issue: I have a hard time sitting alone. Silent, content, alone. This is because smartphones act as an illusion (Mulcahy 2013). They make me feel connected when I'm by myself. Instead of letting a period of solitude, my own thoughts or my surroundings wash over me, I

have a habit of reaching for my phone to entertain me. This is where smartphone media is interrupting the interaction between audiences and places. I can feel that my phone is saluting my departure from relating to the space I'm in, and my need for self-reflection at that point in time. I'm now learning to make room for this solitude with myself. Smartphone free. Smartphones can add to the efficiency of our lives, but less time is taken to ponder what they may be costing us. We are sacrificing conversation for mere connection. People may choose to use their mobile social networks to connect with friends instead of catching up with them over dinner. Others are more concerned with asking a store clerk for the wi-fi password than asking how their day is going. An intimate or significant moment can pass us by if we're not watching. Enjoyable moments are here, then gone - life is ticking away whether we are looking or not. How many valuable moments are missed when we are all looking down at our phones? This made me urge my friends from around the world to take notice, and to look up. I wanted them to share a photo of a wonderful moment they would have otherwise missed if they'd been looking at their phone. I got over 40 responses. A sunset from a train; a view from a fire escape; a green-dyed river for Oktoberfest; a busy market; a glimpse of a parade from a bus ride; an apartment lookout; an unexpected friend; another unexpected friend; an impromptu class photo; a still sea; a public expression; a brewing storm; a game of chess on a park bench. Inspired, I added my own: a restaurant wall; a laugh with a friend; a passenger seat view... and a cheeky cousin. I'm not advocating that we abstain from our smartphone devices for good. I don't have the solution, just a starting point. I want to plant the idea for us all to start developing a more self-aware relationship with our devices, with each other and with ourselves. We need to make sure we aren't sacrificing conversation for connection. We need to realise the relevance of social functions in our offline community as well as our established online communities (Gotved 2002). We need to value both social spaces simultaneously and make time for each; ensuring one does not override the other. We need to reconnect our use of mobile media to a sense of spatial awareness. As a culture, we need to make it our priority to recognise the significant moments that enhance our lives - and when we should be paying attention to them. This will complete the trifecta of media, audiences and place for a more meaningful future between technology and personal experience. It's important we recognise that our smartphones can steal moments from us if we don't look up. Search this hashtag (#MichelleWebbDSP) on Twitter to read my process of creating this VoiceThread. I've tweeted a running commentary on my ideas, development and creative processes. Thank you for watching! READ MY EXTRAS AT <http://michelleewebb.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/references-dsp/>

REFERENCES: Aldous, T 2013, Street Art, image, VIC, Australia, taken 15 October Augustin, S 2012, Privacy and Smart Phones, Psychology Today, 6 June, viewed 1 August 2013, <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/people-places-and-things/201206/privacy-and-smartphones> Bull, J 2013, Paradise Island View, image, Republic of the Maldives, taken 14 October Gotved, S 2002, 'Spatial Dimensions in Online Communities', Journal of Space & Culture, vol. 5, no. 4, pp.405-414, viewed 21 October 2013, <http://www.itu.dk/~annehvejsel/DDK/spatialdimensions.pdf> Jones, M 2013, Street Chess and Conversations, image, Sensoji, Japan, taken 14 October Jones, M 2013, Street Market, image, Sensoji, Japan, taken 15 October Kitts, S 2013, Fire Escape View, image, Chicago, USA, taken 15 October Kriso, M 2013, Virginian Storm, image, VA, USA, taken 14 October Kruszelnicki, K 2013, Smartphones Can Dumb Down Relationships, ABC Science, weblog post, 20 February, viewed 19 October 2013, <http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/02/20/3694457.htm> Mulcahy, M 2013, 'Smartphone Capturing versus Real Life Experience', CNY Central, 23 August, viewed 20 October 2013, <http://www.cnycentral.com/news/blog_post.aspx? id=938094#.UmNdlJSfuSA> Orme, R 2013, Whale Surprise, image, QLD, Australia, taken 14 October Packer, F 2013, Kiama Station Sky, image, NSW, Australia, taken 15 October Robinson, H 2013, Small friend, image, NSW, Australia, taken 15 October Sumers, S 2013, Green River, image, Chicago, USA, taken 19 October Sumers, S 2013, LGBT Parade, image, Chicago, USA, taken 14 October TEDtalksDirector 2012, Connected, but alone?, online video, 3 April, YouTube, viewed 28 August 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Xr3AsBEK4> Watson, E 2013, Impromptu Class Snap, image, Mississippi, USA, taken 14 October Webb, M 2013, Little cousin Chace, image, NSW, Australia, taken 14 October Webb, M 2013, Moments with friends, image, NSW, Australia, taken 15 October Webb, M 2013, Restaurant Appreciation, image, NSW, Australia, taken 15 October Webb, M 2013, Tom Ugly Bridge Ride, image, NSW, Australia, taken 14 October Whitehouse, J 2013, Apartment View, image, Berlin, Germany, taken 14 October