"These results demonstrated that the mere presence of mobile communication technology
might interfere with human relationship formation, lending some empirical support to
concerns voiced by theorists (Turkle, 2011). Evidence derived from both experiments
indicates the mere presence of mobile phones inhibited the development of interpersonal
closeness and trust, and reduced the extent to which individuals felt empathy and
understanding from their partners."
I've been thinking about this study on and off since I heard about it. It often comes to my mind when I'm using my cell phone. The study reveals that the mere PRESENCE of electronic devices during interactions with others shifts the way we form and deepen relationships!
That's a big deal!
One easy application is to keep your phone out of sight when enjoying time with another person. It isn't really enough to just put it face down or move it to the corner of the table. To really convey empathy, listening, and connectedness, we have to move our devices out of sight.
Interesting!
