What’s the impact of smartphones on our social skills?

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Mariyan Slavov
Mariyan Slavov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 10mo ago

A decade or so ago, if you wanted to talk to someone, you needed to go and really talk to them. Like, pat them on the shoulder and use your vocal chords. Nowadays, it's all chats, reels, likes, emojis, and other virtual ways of communication. I don't want to sound like a boomer, but have we lost some of our social skills because we rely on online communication and, indirectly, because of our smartphones? That might be a bit grim of a view, I agree, but I feel like people have a harder time with real-life social interactions. On the other hand, this might just be a logical evolution, and there might be nothing wrong with this type of communication. Chatting, using emojis, and matching on Tinder, if you like, might all be parts of the new social skill set. What do you think?

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Crispin_Gatieza
Crispin_Gatieza
Arena Master
• 10mo ago

I'm not a boomer, I'm an early version of Gen-X, which means I don't GAF about what boomers or millennials say. I see and hear millennial women complain about men the way I had never heard before. Fellas, y'all ain't got no game! Plain and simple. Put down the phone or the controller and TALK to a woman. Y'all might find yourselves not being incels anymore.

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SogenX
SogenX
Arena Apprentice
• 10mo ago

Yes, there's a difference. It seems that people don't know how to respond when there is face to face conversation. Especially if there is a negative response. It's taken so personally now that it's really weird.

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Ubloc
Ubloc
Arena Apprentice
• 10mo ago

I like to keep a mix between online and irl interactions. Mostly using digital forms of communication to construct meet ups or for gaming. Not necessarily replacing physical interaction but serving as a tool when apart.

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Mariyan Slavov
Mariyan Slavov
Phonearena team
Original poster
• 10mo ago
↵Crispin_Gatieza said:

I'm not a boomer, I'm an early version of Gen-X, which means I don't GAF about what boomers or millennials say. I see and hear millennial women complain about men the way I had never heard before. Fellas, y'all ain't got no game! Plain and simple. Put down the phone or the controller and TALK to a woman. Y'all might find yourselves not being incels anymore.

Actually, I'm an early millennial, just two years after Gen X, and I've lived through some amazing transitions, not only in technology. Our first TV was a black-and-white set, and we only had a landline; then the internet came along, CDs came and went, mobile phones turned into smartphones, and so on. Now we're about to witness another transition to AI-based information gathering and processing. It's super interesting. But when I do a 2-3 day technology detox with a book and my wife, wine, food, and just talking about stuff, I feel the happiest.

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domfonusr
domfonusr
Arena Master
• 10mo ago

As a last-of-the-Gen-Xer's, I can say that I try to keep the digital social skills and the real-life social skills in balance. Both have their place. Both have their strengths. Both have their weaknesses. Knowing when and where to use each is a bit of an art. There is a lot more science available on that subject these days, as well, but I prefer to stick with the "art" for now...

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kds1951
kds1951
Arena Apprentice
• 8mo ago

Well it does allow us to 'zone out.' That's not a good thing in terms of developing social skills.

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