Every person in this world has a unique combination of features that makes him or her observe the world from a specific angle and have a personal point of view. Despite this fact, there are some things that everyone would mention if asked about the essential components of happiness, and good interpersonal relationships are undoubtedly one of them. Indeed, relationships are important for all people irrespective of social status or age. Quality relationships can be compared to a flower that needs to be taken care of; without water, the flower inevitably withers. To provide relationships with this “water,” people need to pay close attention to those with whom they are communicating. Fortunately, many modern technologies are available to help anyone who would like to communicate better or more frequently. To be more precise, using a cell phone may have a positive effect on many relationships—but, of course, only if the cell phones are not used inappropriately or excessively.
A cell phone is a device designed to facilitate the process of communication, and it can definitely help people avoid becoming estranged from friends or relatives in some specific situations. To begin with, a cell phone gives the user an opportunity to show some thought for a loved one who is away on a business trip or who lives far away. There is no doubt that getting a short message or receiving a call from someone who is missed cheers the recipient up and makes him or her really impatient to see this person face to face. Moreover, good relationships require an exchange of confidence, and cell phones provide the perfect avenue for such conversations. Sometimes intimate conversations in person may be hindered due to lack of privacy or concerns about outside listeners, but exchanging a few short messages with a friend will help people share opinions on a private matter without being heard. Lastly, for people who are always wrapped up in work or other obligations, mobile phone communication may be the last chance to keep in touch with loved ones and to establish more dependable, trusting relationships. Overall, these reasons make mobile phones a critical tool for communicating with other people at any time and at any point that anyone would like to discuss.
Nevertheless, using cell phones may also cause difficulties in establishing positive relationships. Sometimes people who are obsessed with communication via mobile phone become addicted to the phone and cannot communicate effectively with people around them. Such a person gets used to expressing his or her wide range of emotions in smileys, and real-life communication stops being a fascinating experience (Przybylski and Weinstein 238). Furthermore, some people tend to be more reserved in non-face-to-face communication, hiding their real attitudes and making communication a little bit too formal rather than open (Bore and Park 1098). Happily, these negative effects occur only when people pay too much attention to cell phone communication and forget about the importance of real-world relationships.
On the whole, using a cell phone has a positive influence on establishing quality relationships as it gives people an opportunity to talk and exchange short messages whenever and wherever. At the same time, only communicating via mobile phone cannot substitute for communication in real life, as building long-term and steady relationships require making eye contact, sharing mutual experiences, and coming together for regular meetings.
References
Borae, Jin and Namkee Park. “Mobile Voice Communication and Loneliness: Cell Phone Use and the Social Skills Deficit Hypothesis.” New Media & Society 15.7 (2013): 1094-1111. Print.
Przybylski, Andrew and Netta Weinstein. “Can You Connect with Me Now? How the Presence of Mobile Communication Technology Influences Face-to-face Conversation Quality.” Journal of Social and Personal Relations 30.3 (2012): 237-246. Print.