is it always appropriate to have your phone visible?
By Orla Tyson
Feeling into your pocket reaching for your smartphone but then, it’s not there. Imagine that immediate shook, your heart starts to race, your brain goes into complete shutdown thinking of ‘who could of taken it?’, ‘where did I leave it?’ why do we react like this? How comes we instantly go into overdrive when were separated from our phones?
In modern day we all get rapidly distressed when we can’t find our phones or are unable to use it mostly because we see it as a security blanket, something that we depend on for everything; maps, contacting people, taking pictures and so much more. It’s no surprise why we would go a little insane when separated from it. However phones when present at all times can send the wrong message without you realising. A lot of the time we have a habit of putting out phones on a table whilst we are having dinner at wither it be with people around us or not. Its turn into a new reflex to instantly place it in front of us so as soon as a new email, text or notification comes up we can instantaneously place it in front of our eyes to check what it is. It sends the wrong message to the person you’re sitting with as its equivalent to saying whatever you rather check on your phone is more important than whoever you're with.
Two studies show that having your phone visible on the table during a conversation it makes the person your with less positive ,would you really want them to feel this way? its okay to be away from your phone for at least thirty minutes , it actually improves your face to face interaction skills. face to face interaction creates a bond between people such as friendships, something that teenagers might find difficult whist always being on their phones.
To go back to the main point ,is it always appropriate to have your phone visible ? in my opinion not always it can send the wrong message and also create a lack of face to face communication. let's try to move away from that habit of always relying on a phone and have an actual conversation with a person whilst not thinking about that next notification that may pop up.
