Phones Before Friends?

By Aqil Haziq & Louisa Tang, News Editors
Infographic: Pamela Ng

Students are finding it more socially-acceptable to use their phones in front of their friends, in a poll conducted by the Nanyang Chronicle. They fear being seen as rude by friends on their social media networks and mobile apps if they ignore notifications.

Darryll Goh, 22, a first-year student from the Nanyang Business School, said that students are constantly checking their phone even when they are with someone because they do not want to appear inconsiderate.

“On Whatsapp, there is a last seen timestamp, so you are always under pressure to respond or risk being called rude,” he said.

When the Chronicle surveyed 65 NTU students, only five said they never use their phones when they are in the company of friends. More than half admitted that they check their phones at least once every 15 minutes.

“We probably don’t think much of our quick phone checks, but I guess to our friends the short periods of time we spend doing so really add up,” said Wong Wenbin, 22, a first-year student from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.

But the growing reliance on smartphone communication may not be a bad thing, said Assistant Professor of Sociology Sam Han.

“We are taking in-person interactions as the benchmark for ‘healthy’ or ‘good’ social interactions,” he said.

“Smartphones affect the quality of interaction between people. However, I would hesitate to say that the effects are adverse but rather a shift in how we understand ourselves as social beings.”

Allen Cheong, 22, a first-year student from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, agreed, saying that social media helps cultivate virtual friendships which are just as important.

Instead of catching up with one friend, Cheong prefers being able to see what multiple friends are up to at the same time.

Esther Subramaniam, 20, disagreed. “I do not deny that social media is an indispensable tool for networking.

“But I believe that the friendships cultivated online lack the depth that is more efficiently developed in personal relationships,” said the first-year student from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.

Likewise, almost all respondents felt that excessive phone usage compromises on quality time at real-life gatherings.

A social campaign started last June by four final-year students from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information aims to reduce excessive phone usage in social settings. Named “Put It On Friend Mode”, the Final Year Project campaign encourages youths to place their phones face down when they are spending time with friends and
family.

“We wanted to do a campaign that we could relate to, as many of us are guilty of using our smartphones when meeting with others,” said Malvin Chua, 24, one of the students involved in the project. People can submit online pledges to reduce their phone usage on the “Put It On Friend Mode” website.

Those who do so will be rewarded with special dining privileges, such as discounts at select establishments on 22 Feb, designated by the team as “Put It On Friend Mode Day”.

The team will also release festive-themed videos on their YouTube channel, which includes a call-to-action for people to make the pledge on the campaign’s Facebook page or website. Additionally, they will be visiting Canteens A and B over the next two months to promote “Put It On Friend Mode”.

FRIENDS FIRST: (From left to right) Chan Jing Hao, Lee Yumei, Malvin Chua, and Jonathan Tan are running a social campaign to put your phones face down.
PHOTO: PUT IT ON FRIEND MODE