Smartphones: Transforming society into a sea of stupid

The column argues that smartphones are not the core problem by themselves. The issue is the mix of mobile technology, social networking, and constant information snacking, which the author says pushes people toward antisocial habits and social detachment.

It links that trend to earlier technologies like radio, television, the PC, texting, and now wearables. The author says moderation matters, but also argues that people should turn devices off more often, spend time with others in person, and avoid replacing direct interaction with quick-sharing tools.

Reading notes

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• The author says the problem is the combination of mobile technology and social networking, not smartphones alone.
• He connects constant sharing and information snacking to a non-stop feedback loop and antisocial behavior.
• He treats radio, television, personal computing, texting, smartphones, and wearables as steps in the same trend toward social detachment.
• He argues that technologies are morally neutral, while society sets the norms for what becomes acceptable.
• He says smartphones and tablets are the latest tools for social networking and information snacking, but other devices may serve the same role later.
• He contrasts quick-share social media with email, voice-over-IP, and video conferencing, which he sees as higher-value forms of connection.
• He says gaming can be a more complex social activity, but too much gaming and staying inside are still harmful.
• He worries most about people who grow up with smartphones and never knew a time when this behavior was socially unacceptable.
• He says wearables may make antisocial behavior harder to notice.
• He suggests built-in mechanisms that tell users to take a break and thresholds that warn when technology use goes too far.
• He also says people should be told when they are acting in socially unacceptable ways and should make more effort to be with others.
• He recommends turning devices off, cooking and talking without devices, exercising, and reading books or newspapers.
• He closes by warning that replacing traditional social interaction with social networking can damage developmental skills and leaves open the question of whether society wants to become a sea of stupid.