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Mark Houston
Professor Reed
English 101
19 July 2014
Social Problems Associated With Digital Communication:
An Annotated Bibliography
Asbridge, M., Brubacher, J.R., & Chan, H., (2012). Phone Use and Traffic Crash Risk: A
Culpability Analysis. International Journal of Epidemiology, 42(1), 259-267.
This scholarly article focuses on determining how the presence of cell phone use
while driving affects the probability of a car crash to take place. For this study, accident
related data was pulled from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia Traffic
Accident System database, and the data was reviewed and compared through police
reports to determine crash cause and probability of occurrence. Among the accidents
considered, it was determined that the odds for a car accident to occur were increased by
seventy percent when cell phone usage was present. This supports the idea that
technology can be a major distraction from one's surroundings, and can enable dangerous
situations to take place.
Edell, A.R., Jung, J.J., Solomon, J.M., & Palu, R.N., (2013). Distracted Pedestrian Sustains
Orbital Fracture While on Cell Phone. Clinical Ophthalmology, 7(1), 671-673.
This peer reviewed article describes an incident that occurred in Auckland, New
Zealand, when a 72 year old man injured his left eye by walking into the corner pole of a
metal fence. This incident is attributed directly to his use of his cell phone, as he was
actively engaging in conversation when the event occurred. This article conveys
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firsthand the ability that forms of communicative technology, and cell phones in
particular, have to distract users from their surroundings, and this also helps to support
the concept that the distractions of technology can endanger the individuals that use it.
Kluger, Jeffrey. "We Never Talk Anymore: The Problem with Text Messaging." Techland. Time
Inc., 16 Aug. 2012. Web. 19 July 2014.
Jeffrey Kluger's article focuses primarily on the effects that replacing personal
forms of communication with texting have on the social skills of young adults. From the
year 2000 to the year 2010, texting has become over ten times more active in the lives of
young adults, and as a result, their ability to read others' facial, body, emotional, and
vocal cues which take place in face to face conversation have suffered. Having become
too reliant on texting as a primary form of communication, many young adults have
become uncomfortable with the spontaneous reactions that occur in normal conversation,
and this has rendered many young adults feeling incapable of holding active
conversations and comfortably meeting new people face to face.
Kutcher, Ashton. "Has Texting Killed Romance?" Harper's BAZAAR. Hearst Communications,
Inc., 8 Dec. 2010. Web. 16 July 2014.
Ashton Kutcher's article serves to shed light on many of the problems that have
arisen among relationships due to text messaging. One aspect that Kutcher focuses
primarily on is that text messaging has destroyed the sense of wonder, fascination, and
mystery that used to accompany romantic relationships. By not always having the means
for direct communication, each individual in a romantic relationship had the time to miss,
long for, and think about the other person. Now, however, the immediate access for
conversation that texting provides has prevented this natural and healthy aspect of
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relationships from occurring, which has accelerated the dating process and made more
intimate moments less special. This conveys another source of communication damage
that has been dealt by the culture of texting: The absence of mystery and wonder in
romance.
Madell, Dominic E., Muncer, Steven J. (2007). Control over Social Interactions: An Important
Reason for Young People's Use of the Internet and Mobile Phones for Communication?
CyberPsychology & Behavior, 10(1), 137-140.
This scholarly article searches deeper into the reasons that young adults prefer
text messaging over other forms of communication. Researchers conducted an
experiment by looking at two focus groups of 18 to 20 year old individuals, and asked
them questions about their daily communication with others. It was concluded that the
majority of the young adults who were questioned preferred to communicate through the
internet and mobile phones because it gave them greater control over the conversation,
giving them the ability to perfect their responses before sending them, and providing time
to plan their messages. This study portrays the ways in which innovative forms of
communication such as the internet and text messaging have made young adults less
comfortable with common conversation, because the growing use of planned responses
and greater control among conversations that occur through text messaging is not present
in face to face conversation.
McGarva, A.R., Ramsey, M., & Shear, S.A., (2006). Effects of Driver Cell-Phone Use on Driver
Aggression. Journal of Social Psychology, 146(2), 113-114.
This peer reviewed article deals chiefly with the behaviors of rudeness and
frustration associated with other drivers using their cell phones while driving. This study
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concluded that drivers are angered far more by other drivers' mistakes when they are
accompanied by cell phone use. This study shows that cell phones are generally
conceived by the public as distracting, and that they are deemed both dangerous and
inappropriate for use in situations that require an individual to be aware of their
surroundings, such as driving.
Puryear, C., & Reysen, S., (2013). A Preliminary Examination of Cell Phone Use and Helping
Behavior. Psychological Reports, 113(3), 1001-1003.
This scholarly article assesses how the use of mobile phones affect an individual's
manners, as well as their willingness to help others. A focus study took place in which an
individual with a fake knee brace dropped a stack of magazines in front of individuals
who were using their phones as well as individuals who were not distracted by their
phones, and while 72 percent of the individuals who were not on their phones offered to
help retrieve the magazines, only 9 percent of the individuals who were on their phones
offered to help. This study shows that the use of technology can be a distraction from the
opportunity to engage in face to face social situations, and it also shows that people are
generally less considerate of the people around them while on their phones.
Schneiderman, Kim. "The Trouble with Texting." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, LLC,
21 Jan. 2013. Web. 19 July 2014.
In this article, psychotherapist Kim Schneiderman explains why using text
messaging as a primary form of communication can be harmful to a relationship.
Schneiderman informs that while body language and vocal tone, pitch, and emphasis
make up the majority of our communication, the message itself only makes up seven
percent of our communicative needs. Although texting can be a good option for
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communicating less personal things like timeframes, meeting places, or events,
attempting to solve relational problems through a form of communication that only
provides seven percent of what is needed in an ideal conversation is harmful to the
relationship because it does not allow people to be truly in touch with one another.
Storrs, Beverly. "Ethical Problems Communicating Through Text Messaging." The Digital
Universe. Brigham Young University, 16 Jan. 2012. Web. 19 July 2014.
Beverly Storrs' article focuses on the major differences between communicating
through text messaging as opposed to personal, face to face conversation. In this article,
multiple individuals are questioned as to why they might text instead of talk in person or
on the phone. The responses of those who were questioned show two key differences
between texting and personal conversation: Texting allows individuals to say things to
people without having to deal with the emotional reaction of the other person, and texting
provides individuals with time to think more critically about what they say before it gets
sent off.
White, Patrick. "Texting Has Altered Communication, Still Presents Problems as Trend
Declines." The Collegian. Collegian Media Group, 9 Oct. 2012. Web. 19 July 2014.
Patrick White's article provides a basic overview of many of the problems that
have arisen in recent culture due to an enormous increase in the usage of digital
communication and mobile phones. The most significant topics discussed in this article
that are associated with increased cell phone use in young adults are damaged social
skills, an increase in poor grammar and incorrect spelling, unawareness of surroundings,
and the extreme dangers of texting and driving, which supporting research shows is even
more dangerous than drunk driving.