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James Spinaris
Professor Malcolm Campbell
English 1103
2/15/15
Topic Proposal: The Smartphone Revolution
Introduction/Overview
Smartphones, evolving from the PDAs and personal computers of yesteryear, are having
an increasing and incredibly potent effect on society. No technology since the advent of the
original colloquialism of multi-touch displays by Apple with the first iPhone has made such a
profound mark on user interactions with their devices. People were finally able to easily use a
smartphone, in interesting new ways that seemed like magic. No longer were smartphones just
another gadget for geeks, but rather the next big thing for the population. Using similar
technology, other companies were able to replicate Apples magic and soon competitors arose.
All sorts of smart devices were flooding the market by 2009, with mobile traffic having a
projected growth of 131%, according to brookings.edu being driven by the massive budgets of
electronics companies and telecommunications carriers and as a result many people felt they had
no other choice but to buy one. According to ctia.org, approximately 90% of the United States
relies on wireless service. This number is astonishing, and only going to rise. This figure doesnt
include the amount of devices connected in the US that have no data connection, so it is safe to
infer that there are even more devices out there. This is astonishing, simply because never before
has there been a time where humans were so connected, at least in terms of information
available. Given these factors, a new breed of social habits developed to match the trend of the
growing technology. People have grown more reclusive, drawn in to the world of media, social

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or not. Rather than a strangers conversation on an elevator ride, nowadays one will hear nothing
put the click of a button powering on a screen. The trend can be observed almost anywhere now
it seems, as it is now commonplace to walk and interact with a phone at the same time, and tune
out the rest of the world. However, despite the lack of outwardly extroversion, there is perhaps a
greater presence of friendship inwardly, within the groups one uses the device to connect with.
Or, rather, do people put up a faade of social habits interacting with their phones as a way to
hide their loneliness? These social tendencies have many layers of complexity because there are
so many applications that can be run for social uses, but are not despite what their claims may be.
This has become exacerbated by flooded market of smartphones, and the rapid pace of
technology growing that is alluring to the masses.
If we live in a society where people refuse to only be social with their devices and
internet contacts, the world will change vastly in the way humans interact, forever. Being social
creatures, are people able to support a lifestyle of seeing images of their friends and events,
rather than being there? These sort of changes in the way we interact are already in motion and
have been for some time, as human interaction is constantly evolving alongside us. But theres
something new about this kind of sharing and always-connectedness, which has taken the
humanity out of it. To be with their friends, one now only needs to send a group text, instead of
physically joining his or her friends. Many articles have been penned concluding the same thing,
that we as a people are becoming less social in favor of our devices and friends on various social
media outlets.
Initial Inquiry Question(s)
How has the rise of smartphones impacted people socially, and made them less likely to
talk to new people and prefer being reclusive? Or has it caused people to be more inclusive with
the people they choose to share with?
My Interest in this Topic

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Im interested in this topic because its one I have noticed become a progressively larger
phenomenon in my generation. Im worried that people will become too withdrawn and
established with their current friends that nobody will have any incentive to find any new ones.
Im interested in seeing how my favorite piece of technology has impacted others in the world
around me, and changed their lives for better or worse. Its a revolutionary piece of technology,
but I worry that not all its uses are for the best. Im curious to see if they would be considered a
tool to improve social relationships, or detract from them. I hope to learn about how smartphones
have and will continue to impact others in the future.
Next Steps
I have a lot of research of these topics ahead of me. Ill be googling ferociously to find
sources of information, any little scrap that will help me complete this topic. Ive been using
academia.edu for information rich articles curated based on tags relating papers and information
to study. I will continue to scour google scholar for information regarding the social effects of
smartphones. Im going to check various medical journals to see if depression rates have risen
since smartphones became high demand consumer products, and also the prevalence of other
sicknesses of the mind in recent years.