Texting, etc.

Along the same lines as the Hampton article "The Social Life of Wireless Urban Spaces: Internet Use, Social Networks, and the Public Realm," texting also seems to have some similar effects as internet use in public spaces even if those effects are not quantifiably backed up in the article. I've been finding that people who are waiting for something or in a room where they don't know anyone, everyone will have their phones out. (I too am guilty of this action) While this is indicative of each individual keeping in touch with people in their social network, they are also not talking to the other people in the same room with them, which creates an interesting dynamic. It is almost as if by texting other people one is showing that one is not without social contacts, and they are also lessening the potential awkwardness of sitting or standing in silence with people that you at the very least only have the present location in common with. It's kind of a toss up as to what this does to social networks, especially in a party or group setting. Sometimes people will get bored in groups and instead of figuring out a game or some activity to do together, you will see people go to their phones to see what other people are up to. If it is more interesting, (grass is always greener on the other side, right?) then they might change locations even though those contacts might very well be texting back for the same reason. From that perspective, there might be increasingly less engaged present or dynamic moments happening in groups because people can easily divert their attention, much like the waiting room scenario towards their outside network of people. It would be hard to quantify over-all social network in that case because while one part of interacting with people in the room is lessened, there is still over-all activity on the network. It would be interesting to study this phenomenon and why people are constantly going to their phone to maybe make people feel less alone? Less bored? Able to have more in depth conversations with people they know as opposed to “small talk”?