Have teenagers lost basic communciation skills?

I am officially a ‘victim’ of media saturation. And I’m sure I’m not the only one. This weekend I had the unfortunate inconvenience of breaking my wonderful Smartphone. While it is being repaired I am forced to use a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone. Now back in my pre-teen days these phones were of the highest calibre – a built in mp3 player! What more could I ever want or need?!

Sony Ericsson Walkman Phone
Source: http://www.photoxels.com

Well I was wrong. I didn’t need any more but I did want it. So I upgraded. I finally dipped my toe into the world of Android Smartphone’s and I have never looked back nor have I had to until now. My Sony Ericsson Walkman phone has no Wi-Fi. Therefore, I have no apps, no Facebook, no Snapchat, no Instagram, no Twitter, no Guess the Emoji, no nothing.

I have to admit it feels slightly like withdrawal symptoms not having immediate access to information. I feel separated from the world by not having the world’s knowledge at my fingertips. I am becoming annoyed with having to constantly re-start my laptop to just look up some mundane thing. But that’s what this media saturation has caused – a dependence on media and constant access to information.

I have noticed how dependant my friends and individuals around me are with their phones. Since I can’t browse through my phone I have become an observer. A conversation isn’t one on one anymore. It is a half effort while browsing Facebook. I now understand why my grandparents got so annoyed with me when I am on my phone while I’m talking to them. All the basic requirements of good communication are lost. There is,

• An obvious lack of eye contact
• Nodding occasionally to show you are listening
• Instead of nervous ticks such as, wringing your hands or picking your nails. There is a constant focus on your phone.

It’s extremely annoying when you’re talking and you know a person isn’t paying attention to you. I really wonder how this came to be the way and that I was okay with it before this. So I want to pose the question have teenagers lost the ability of basic communication?

If so, what does this mean for society’s behaviour? Will the ways of common courtesy and basic manners change? I value the ideals I was taught by my mother and grandparents but clearly I had forgotten them when I am exposed to media. I won’t lie I cannot wait to get my phone back but I will try to improve my usage and how I interact with people.