By: Julie Essex
The source I read was “Smartphone and self-extension: Functionally,anthropomorphically, and ontologically extending self via the smartphone”
I thought this article was very interesting and it made me think more about how attached I am to my phone. The makers of smartphones have made it so easy to get attached to them and kind of obsess over them. I think navigating the world now would be so hard without phones and I think a person would feel so disconnected from everyone and I’m not sure if that’d be good or not.
“For example, mobile technologies are capable of representing “an extension of our physical selves—an umbilical cord, anchor-ing the information society’s digital infrastructure to our very bodies” (Harkin, 2003, p.16). The information quoted above was very interesting to think about. I would have never really thought about phones being
an extension of ourselves and almost having an umbilical cord to them. But I can see what point the writer is trying to say With how people see and use phones today.
“The participants responses reflect the idea that smartphone technology has become seamlessly incorporated into the flow and rhythm of daily life” (Burchell, 2015).
I can definitely account for that smartphone technology has become seamlessly incorporated into the flow of my life and I can see how it is very difficult to not use smartphone technology now. With being a college student, my life would be tremendously hard if I did not have a phone to connect with peers, group project and all of the other aspects of my life I am responsible for.
“The theme of anthropomorphic extension is quite notable in the present study. Smartphone users tend to personify their smartphone, treating it as a pet, a friend, or a loved one”. I think I have become very attached to my phone but there are days like lately I would just love to detach from it and leave it somewhere. I notice I like to do that even if it's for an hour or so, when I am very stressed or have a lot of stressors at the same time. It’s a weird relationship I would say that I have with my phone. I love it because I can use it for my job and connecting with friends but when I am really stressed like I am lately with life and school overload I just want to disconnect so badly.
Overall, I think it is good that we have this smartphone technology but I do find it important to disconnect for a period of time if a person can. I sometimes think back to when I did not have a phone and it seemed so freeing then. Maybe one day I will be able to find a good smartphone usage and life balance. I enjoyed reading this article and I think moving forward I will think more about how my phone affects my life and the reasoning behind it.
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