The introduction of the smartphone has changed the way our society functions in a mere decade. The debate about whether smartphones have an impact on society is long over and the answer is obvious, the debate has now focused on whether the impact is more positive or negative. Though the smartphone has made communication much easier, it has also created a less social society favors communication over the phone rather face to face (Ferren). I found this research topic interesting because I am one of many people that have grown up in the age of technology. The exigence of this paper is rooted in my interest in the future communication skills my generation and the impacts that smartphones have on not only myself but those around me. The purpose of this paper is to inform an audience about the impacts of smartphones on society, the purpose is not to persuade or convince. The smartphone has become so large and so ingrained in our society it has already began to leave it’s print, the nature of that print is unraveling currently and whether it will be positive or negative is still largely up for debate.

There is no argument that though smartphones have increased our availability of communication, every second spent on a phone is a second not spent observing the world and the “usage of these devices may be stealing the most valuable moments of life away” (Perlow). One of the most common arguments that support the idea that smartphones have a negative effect on society is the argument that smartphones have taken our focus away from everything from driving, to family, to our surroundings. Recently a video was released by a YouTuber by the name of Gary Turk. In the video the Turk performs a poem written about the parts of life missed while on a phone. The link to this video is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY . The video rely heavily on an