Nine years ago on June 27, 2007 the first smartphone was born. Steve Job's technology giant, Apple, came out with the first generation iPhone which little did he know would change the course of social interaction in human history. The smartphone has taken away mankind's ability to socialize in person to an incredible degree, after observing the research on this topic this face is indisputable. By examining various experts on technology's effect on social interaction and their research on these topics it is hard not to beg the question, are smartphones the death of human interaction?

The first source to provide support of this research question is Joshua Brustein's "We Now Spend More Time Staring at our Phones Than TVs", a comprehensive look at the specific amount of time that Americans spend staring at that little five inch screen that has consumed society. Brustein's examination of smartphone usage not only brings to light the smartphones effect on human social skills but also, its effect on the marketing industry due to smartphone time consumptions surpassing that of the television industry. Joshua Brustein works as a technology correspondent for Bloomberg Business and has worked as the senior staff editor for the New York Times. The examination of this sources background proves the validity of his research helping to make this Bloomberg Business article an extremely strong source in the proving of the smartphone time consumption thesis.

 The second source used in the proving of this thesis comes from an article written by Nick Bilton titled "Disruptions: More Connected, Yet More Alone". Bilton's article describes the modern age of technological obsession that mankind finds itself in today. By examining the over usage of phones Bilton analyzes how the smartphone has directly effected everyday social skills. The article follows a woman, Ms.deGuzman through her daily life and underscores the terrifying reality of how attached to the iPhone the people of the world are. Starting at the beginning of the day, she wakes up looking at her phone while her husband tries to speak to her yet fails. As she goes about her daily tasks there is one obvious centerpiece in her life and in the lives of those around her, her iPhone. Nick Bilton has worked for the New York Times since 2003 and is an award winning technology columnist for this trustworthy publication. Not only has Bilton published many great columns for the New York Times but he has also published two books on technology and its impacts on social culture. Bilton's extensive technological expertise make his article the perfect source for research on smartphones social impacts on American culture. 

Many argue for the benefits that can be found in the unbelievable technology that comprises the smartphone industry. At the forefront of these arguments are the educational and communication related advantages that smartphone technology has unlocked. A big proponent of the educational advantages of smartphones, Concordia Online University, states that "Smartphones allow for social learning ... smartphones can allow students to work in groups on projects, sharing information and discoveries" through social media platforms (Concordia Online Education). Although this notion not only encompasses the educational advantages of smartphones but also the importance rapid global communication can play in the world, it fails to go into the huge distraction smartphones are in classroom environments. By introducing a higher level of involvement for smartphones in the classroom education will eventually be negatively impacted due to the fact that students will pay less attention to their teachers and more time playing games and scrolling through social media.

The third source used to provide backup for my thesis takes a look not at smartphone usage but one of the biggest aspects of the smartphone world, Facebook. Rebecca Hiscott's article examines research done how much time Americans spend scrolling through the news feed compared to users overall mood. Hiscott's investigation uses the research done by Christina Sagioglou and Tobias Greitemeyer of the University of Innsbruck in Austria. In her examination of these studies Hiscott concluded that when more time is spent on Facebook rather than other activities that can be performed on the Internet users are less fulfilled and even report sadness. The most important aspect of this article is the realization that although users know that Facebook will have this effect on mood they continue to use Facebook for an unhealthy amount of time everyday. Rebecca Hiscott is an editorial fellow for The Huffington Post writing on technology and its various effects helping to make her a valuable source in proving the thesis on how technology effects society.

From the birth of the Smartphone, Steve Jobs inadvertently took away the most important aspect of human life, our ability to look one another in the eye and have a conversation. Now when one walks down the street all he or she can see is the tops of peoples heads as they scroll through Facebook or text their friends instead of just sitting down with them and having a conversation. By examining these three sources this thesis is more then backed up through the extensive research and writing that Nick Bilton, Josh Brustein and Rebecca Hiscott have undertaken. If more Americans took the time to look at the effect that smartphones have on society they may still be able to change. This change can be achieved by changing the habits at the most base level of society, the youngest generations. Through parents teaching their kids the dangers of having an obsession with their smartphones humanity can systematically stop the trend of smartphone addiction and reverse the damage they have done.

