Our Solution

Now that we have determined exactly how much cellphone usage is impacting social interaction, it is time to delve deeper and begin implementing a solution. Already, we are sharing our research on social media as well as promoting our topic on our website, and this is working to bring awareness to the problem. People have been quick to share their willingness to contribute and many have even shared personal experiences that prove the importance of this project. Furthermore, we have recently launched a survey pertaining to cellphone usage and the way our devices affect relationships. The survey was spread through our school as well as on our website and social media and has collected more than 150 responses, a number that is still growing. The survey confirmed that cellphones do have consequences if used in the wrong manner when it comes to relationships, and many people shared that they felt ignored or belittled when cellphones where used in their presence. “It's like.... you feel like you aren't interesting enough for them. It feels like you're so boring that they have to scroll through social media or text someone else just to make it through your presence” one of the respondents commented (Chantigny, Herman). This is concerning in a society where cellphones have become so widespread and so commonly used everywhere we go. Along with the survey, we are now planning a school-wide cellphone usage challenge on Tuesday December 19th. The challenge will involve students giving up their cellphones for an entire school day, and there will be school spirit points (a competition between grades dubbed JOMA) awarded as an incentive to all those who complete the challenge. On a strictly volunteer basis, students will be asked to hand in their phones for an entire school day—and reap the rewards of true social interaction. A list will be made to track who signs up for the challenge and the phones collected will be labeled and placed in the principal’s office where they will be returned to the students at the end of the day. (It is to note that the cellphones may be retrieved at any time, if the need arises, however, only those who manage the entire day will be have successfully completed the challenge.) The challenge will be promoted using all of our social media as well as posters we will be putting up all over the school. We are aiming for a participation of at least 50 students, in order to properly spread our message. The goal of this activity is to reveal to students exactly how dependent they are on their cellphones as well as encourage social interaction without the presence of cellphones. Moreover, we will soon be conducting interviews in order to get a deeper perspective on how people feel about the use of cellphones in their interactions with others. The interviews will help present us with a better idea of exactly what we’re fighting for, as well as what people really want when it comes to social interaction. Bringing change to society isn’t easy, especially when these changes directly affect the social standards of today’s world, but we aren’t going to let the difficulty of the task deter us. Even the smallest of actions can prompt a bigger change. Social interaction is worth fighting for.

Works Cited

• Chantigny, Herman. “Cellphone Usage and Social Interaction.” Google Forms Survey. Dec. 4 2017.