As a “Roving Node” according to the tech user quiz, I am personally quite involved with technology. I enjoy using my phone and computer in order to be productive in school and also for my social life. I also enjoy many different social media outlets because they allow me to stay in touch with friends and family, while also allowing access to all different types of information. At the same time, I realize that social media and technology can sometimes take away from face to face social interactions. I think a lot of us, including myself, are guilty of being too immersed in their phones or other types of technology and we end up not paying full attention to the people around us.
People can’t seem to put their devices down. There are many settings in which technology takes away from what is going on around us. 
These days, young children have phones and are using them in school–a fairly new problem that teachers have to deal with. Whether it be at a restaurant or at home, people (especially the younger generation) tend to check their phones multiple times during meals, sometimes in place of interacting with people face to face. I think that the younger generation is going to have a more difficult time when it comes to people skills because so much of their interaction is done behind a screen. Although technology makes communication much easier and in some ways more efficient, our communication skills are likely to decrease because there is less face to face interaction in general.
Even more important than our lack of face to face communication, people are so immersed in their phones that they risk their own others’ lives by texting and driving.Texting and driving is also a fairly new social change that has occurred as a result of technology and the need to be “connected” at all times. It is sad that people are engaging in extremely dangerous behavior because they can’t put down their phones for the duration of a car ride.
Let's Get Ethical 
I think you bring up a very interesting point about phones in the school place. When we were in high school, smart phones were just starting to really make there mark on society. Now kids as young as middle schoolers are extremely apt at using their smart phones. This may make it even harder for teachers to get their student’s undivided attention. Yet more importantly, since students have access to the internet on their phones, it is extremely easy to cheat! I hope that schools/teachers have found ways to make sure that cheating is kept to a minimum.
I think you made a really good point about social interactions when texting is involved. Many people become so immersed in their phones that they have no idea what is happening around them. Some people pull out their phones in the middle of a conversation and start texting. It’s pretty rude if you think about it, but it’s so accepted that many people don’t care.
Like, let’s not be iRude.
It is a big problem people texting during conversations in social situations and it is very rude. When you are face to face with someone and if you are using your phone to talk with someone else it seems ridiculous because chances are when you leave that person you will be texting them about something you forgot to discuss in person with them.
I like how you brought up the cellphones in school problem. I think cellphones in the workplace are and will become a bigger problem as well. However it will be harder to track because cellphones are used for business emails as well.
Cell phones have definitely become a problem in the workplace…I remember my mom telling me a couple years ago that she would catch people in her company texting rather than doing work and it infuriated her…I think she has made it clear that this will not be tolerated but I’m sure people still do it.
Is it hard to put the phone down? Why?
I look at my 13 year old and his constantly chirping phone, and sometimes he seems burdened. I just tell him to set it aside for awhile and he actually looks a little relieved.
My point is that, yes, obviously, people look at and use their devices a lot. But, is it that hard to change the behavior? I think about 99.9% of my students say something like “people are obsessed with/addicted to/it is problematic” a cell phone to the point that they don’t interact with people in the place where they are. Ok. Let’s take that at face value.
Just try to have a meal with friends WITHOUT phones. Just turn them off, set them aside. Is it actually difficult?
Yeah, the texting and driving. I worry more about that then a loss of face to face communication.