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Mckenzie Weir
Professor Dave Fife
Writing and Rhetoric 150
December 4, 2014
The Danger of the "Cell Phone Zone":
Why cell phones are distracting from real forms of communication
You might not see how using cell phones is a problem, but here is an unfortunate story
that might sound familiar. One fine Friday night, I watched as a husband and a wife sat down to
dinner at a place called the Cheesecake Factory. They were young, newly-weds and what better
setting to sit down to a romantic dinner at and enjoy each other's company? As I continued to
observe, I noticed that something was dreadfully wrong. While the husband was sitting across
from his beautiful wife, he looked rather dismayed. The reason for this was because she was
looking down at her phone typing away. He sat there awkwardly, or rather bored. This went on
for quite some time before the husband eventually gave in and started texting too. It broke my
heart as I watched them pay the bill, put their phones away and leave. Dinner had ended and
they hadn't talked to eachother at all. Moments like this happen all the time all throughout the
world. We have probably been in some like this ourselves. Despite the use and necessity of cell
phones, people in our society today have developed an over-dependence on them. As Elder
Ballard, Quorum of the Twelve once said technology must be our servant, not our master.
The benefits of cell phones can be such a blessing, but when our dependence on them starts to

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inhibit our communication with others, like in this situation, they become our master and this
must be stopped. The solution to this problem is not to throw away your cell phone, or even
end all mobile communication. The answer is to spend time each day not dependent on cell
phones for communication.
The wide availability of cell phones in our world today drastically influences the amount
and quality of time spent on them. Today, cell phones are everywhere and particularly among
college students. A survey taken on cell phone use among college students discovered that
"they (college students) tend to be among the first to try new technology. 2 out of 403
students in the survey did not own any type of cellular device (Emanuel). Now imagine that
number multiplied by the number of students attending BYU which is around 30-35,000
students. This just goes to show how popular technology is among college students. Cell phones
are so widely available and easily accessible that its easy to let them take control of our time
and priorities. It is hard to go through an entire day without relying on our phones in some way.
This widespread dependability on cell phones isnt necessarily a bad thing, but when our
dependence on mobile devices and the time spent on them begins to cripple us from doing
normal things, we have become the servants of them (Elder Ballard). The sad part is the time
spent being overtaken by our phones, could have been spent engaging in meaningful
communication.
Having and using cell phones is not always a bad thing. Cell phones offer endless
benefits to us, especially in out fast paced world. We use phones for texting, apps, pictures,
accessing information, and many more reasons. Cell phones become a problem, however,
when they are used at the wrong times or for the wrong reasons. Elder Ballard explained that

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cell phones have many positive uses such as keeping people in-touch and helping us to access
information, but when used at the wrong times they distract people from opportunities to have
meaningful communication, especially with our loved ones (Ballard). The distractions of phones
cause us to lose connection with those around us in many different situations, which in turn
keep us from having face-to-face communication. Its amazing how phones connect us with
those who are far away, but yet they can "simultaneously disconnect us with those people
directly in front of us"(Katz). This is one of the biggest problems with cell phones today. This is
why communication is hurt due to cell phones; the time spent looking down could be used to
strengthen our level of face-to-face interaction with others.
Why do we even need face-to-face communication? Cell phones have provided so many
ways to connect and communicate with people without ever interacting face-to-face. Yes email,
texts, Skype, and phone calls are all good and much needed ways to communicate, but face-toface contact provides benefits that mobile communication cannot. A journal published by The
Library of Congress said that a key part of face-to-face interaction is establishing social bonds.
These bonds allow us to feel emotionally connected to each other (Hinds 85). Face-to-face
interaction is the most dominant way we make friends, build relationships, and have happy
lives. There is a degree of emotional fulfillment and ultimate happiness that cannot be found
anywhere else and its important that we spend enough time building that fulfillment.
The positive technical traits of face-to-face communication provide obvious reasons why
it is necessary in our everyday activities. Face-to-face interaction involves being in the presence
of others while communicating. When calling or texting someone, things can be misinterpreted,
emotion is hard to detect, and there is a lack of sensitivity towards the other persons

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perceptions. When in the presence of the person one gets to experience laughter, movement,
tone, and the ability to clarify and respond immediately to whats being said. Imagine a world
where all communication was done through mobile or computer devices. People would never
get to experience the numerous benefits of interpersonal communication. Life would be dreary
indeed. We would all be very unhealthy people spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.
Face-to-face communication is an imperative skill, which has already been established,
but a lack of it can lead to a variety of problems. One of the problems is loneliness, according to
a study (Jin 1096). The study found that cell phone use and social skills were closely associated.
Or in other words, the amount of time spent on cell phones affected the subjects social skills
and led to a greater risk of loneliness. This study proves that the amount of face-to-face
communication a person has, impacts how connected they feel with the world. There are a
variety of problems that can originate when a person in lonely and interpersonal interaction
with others is the cure.
One of the biggest reasons (we are taken away from communication by cell phones) for
this lack of social interaction and interpersonal conversation is the Cell Phone Zone. This
phenomenon was described in an article by Raymond Gozzi who is a professor with a Ph.D in
Communications. As people look down at their phones and begin tapping and swiping, they no
longer are in the present physical reality; they have entered their own reality called the Cell
Phone Zone. No face-to-face communication can take place in the Cell Phone Zone and it is
easy to miss things that otherwise wouldnt be. Elder Ballard backs this up further by describing
what the Cell Phone Zone often looks like: Too often young people find themselves in the
same room with family and friends but are busily communicating with someone not present.

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He goes on to explain that because of this, we have lost the opportunity to communicate with
those actually nearby us. To prevent this from happening we must take control of the time
spent on cell phones and be aware of our surroundings.
The first and most prominent cause of the Cell Phone Zone is texting. A recent study
discovered that college students send at least 20 texts to between 4 & 9 people every day
(Emanuel 75-81). That adds up to 180 texts every day per person. In one year thats 75 billion
text messages sent in the United States alone (Gozzi 383). Communicating by texting, can be a
very efficient and (word for good) tool. Until texts start to look like btw, Erika was so
abnoxious today but we will chat l8r bye u! As we can see, youth today use texts for lots of
wasteful reasons. One reason is people often avoid face-to-face interaction through texting,
especially when having to say something hard to say in person. To further prove the pervading
wastefulness of texting, texts are slowly becoming full of abbreviations, gossip, and
meaningless content. Furthermore, in the very act of texting these meaningless things, we
become distracted from those people around us. We miss chances to have real face-to-face
conversations. So its not only what we text, but when and why we text that can cause
problems. Its not necessary to eliminate texting completely, just simply limit our time with
wasteful texting. We can avoid letting texting take over, by using it only when it is meaningful
and productive.
Another distracting feature of cell phones that sucks college students into the Cell
Phone Zone is social media. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest...there are a lot more, but
these are just a few of the culprits of the Cell Phone Zone. Social Media is pretty much
everywhere and the majority of us have access to it on phones. By the touch of a button,

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Facebook can be accessed and brought up on cell phones. The problem is not having access to
these things, but its what we do with the access we have. Too many people and especially
young adults spend time on social media posting Facebook posts about meaningless or hurtful
things. Kids today spend time following celebrities on Twitter instead of building relationships
with friends or people that really matter. These are instances where as Elder Ballard said,
phones become our masters.
The meaningless and wasteful uses are beginning to outweigh the useful and productive
uses of social media. There is an article that summarizes how people who access Facebook
through their cell phones are twice as active on Facebook as non-mobile users (Facebook
official Statistics, 2011). Just having the availability of Facebook and other social media
websites alone, can be the killer of face-to-face interaction. Now we know it is not the amount
of time spent on cell phones that hurt communication. It is the amount and quality of time
spent on social media and texting that if used poorly can cause us to miss valuable social
interaction that adds to our happiness and productivity.
Cell Phones distract us in several different scenarios of everyday life, but there are a few
where it occurs most often and can be the most distracting. We can lose control of our cell
phones at school, with our families, and in the Gospel. As our world is getting faster, bigger and
more demanding, cell phones and the advantages that they offer are becoming very a
prominent part of our lives. By examining these areas of life we can see how vital face-to-face
interaction is, and yet how easy it is for cell phones to distract us from it.

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Being BYU college students, school and education are big parts of our lives and we take
them very seriously. However, at times school is a place where students often let phones take
control and get distracted from the crucial communication that takes place there. With this
much cell phone use during school, students cant possibly be retaining all of the information
that is being taught or have productive communication with teachers and fellow classmates.
Although studies have not yet found significant evidence that kids do worse in school with
increased cell phone use, most of us know from experience that it is very easy to get sucked
into the Cell Phone Zone while in class. When this happens content and lectures given in class
are missed. This is an unavoidable consequence of the Cell Phone Zone and can ultimately
lead to difficulties in school (Gozzi). The potential for enriched and complete interaction in a
class is damaged when students use social media or texting.
As important as school and work both are, there is an area in our lives that is even more
important for communication and interaction to take place. Families are central to the
creators plan as stated in The Family: A proclamation to the World. It is crucial that we do
everything we can to strengthen our families and avoid things that will distract us from those
eternal opportunities. Cell phones can and already have weakened families everywhere.
Growing up, kids are introduced to cell phones and technology at an earlier age than ever
before. Kids as well as parents have been caught texting during meals. One example of cell
phones taking control and distracting us is often seen with families at the dinner table. Church
leaders have already established dinner as the most important time of the day for family. But
also, Sharon Fruh, a researcher quoted in the USA Today news stated that the more
distractions, the less beneficial the communication around the (dinner) table (Jayson).

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Whether or not we have problems with letting our phones take over, there are always times
that can be better spent with our families. This may no longer be relevant to the families we
have left for college, but it will be relevant for our future families. Families in society today,
need that quality communication that can only happen at times such as around the dinner
table. The eternal and temporal blessings that come from having healthy, close family
relationships are well worth the time not spent on our phones.
The role of cell phones in romantic relationships, as well as family relationships can hurt
satisfaction and eventually cause conflicts. Based on a study that was done on romantic
relationships, cell phones were found to decrease the quality of their relationships, because
of the idea that partners will always be available (Miller-Cut 17-34). This dependability and
accessibility comes from a dependence on mobile communication, not face-to-face interaction
and can weaken a relationship. This reliance on mobile communication leads to a lack of
interpersonal communication in relationships. This is just another reason why we should limit
or at least take control of the time we spend with mobile interaction.
Cell phones have spread so far, they now impact, for good and bad religion and this
includes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Being part of the church, I know that
most callings in the church now-a-days require some knowledge of basic technology and access
to a mobile phone. Ward Clerks pretty much live on their phones calling and arranging
interviews and meetings with the bishop. Phones give us access to hymns, scriptures, and ward
Facebook pages. Despite the good uses of however, there are times when, for all ages of church
members, cell phones can distract us from very spiritually important communication. This

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communication is between you and God and the Holy Spirit. What could possibly be more
important than that? Elder Ballard addresses this problem of cell phones distracting us from
listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. He says It is important to be still and listen and follow
the Spirit (Ballard). It is impossible to fully listen to the Spirit if we are playing Angry Birds or
scrolling through Pinterest or Buzz Feed.

Regardless of religion, it has been proven that daily personal time for introspection
without distraction is healthy for all human beings. This time allows for communication not only
between you and God, but between yourself as well. Elder Ballard encouraged this idea by
saying that we should all have time to ponder and meditate. If we choose to play or text on
our phones at a moment when Heavenly Father is trying to talk to us, we could miss an answer
to a prayer, a solution to a problem or even just a sense of peace. Time to think, ponder, and
pray is a vital form of communication that should not be weakened or distracted from.
In order to preserve our precious opportunities to communicate with families, friends,
co-workers and God, we must prevent ourselves from becoming servants of our cell phones.
The solution is to simply put your phone away and look up. Every day at least once, try
refraining from using your phone for at least one hour. If this seems too difficult for you, then
the key is to just refrain from texting and social media for an hour. If you need to talk to
someone, call them. Or even better, go talk to them in person if possible. But above all, please
avoid texting. If you begin to feel the urge to check Facebook or scroll through Pinterest, wait
until the hour is through. Or try posting something spiritual on Facebook instead, if you
absolutely have to. Use Facebook and other social media sites as your servant, not your

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master. This may seem ridiculous, considering phones are pretty much needed to function
every day. But are they really? Its only an hour a day. There are 24 hours in a day and so
eliminate the potential for distraction for 4% of the day. Observe what can happen when the
distractions of a cell phone are eliminated. Take every chance you can during that hour to not
only use your phone, but replace it with moments of real communication.
Our lives will never be void of cell phones or the great technological uses that they offer,
and this is not a bad thing. However, losing control of the time we spend on them will keep us
from engaging in face-to-face communication that we need. One hour a day of enriched and
self-initiated face-to-face communication is a necessary way to prevent our lives from
becoming overwhelmed with too much wasteful texting and meaningless Facebook posts. Its
your choice to develop deeper relationships within our families, friends, and God. These
relationships and communication will allow us to feel better connected with those around us
and be happier, healthier and more productive people.

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Works Cited
Ballard, M. Russell. Be Still, and Know That I Am God. LDS.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints. May 4, 2014. Web. 21 Nov. 2014.
Emanuel, Richard C. "The American College Student Cell Phone Survey." College Student
Journal 47.1 (2013): 75-81. Ebscohost. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.
Jin, Borae, and Namkee Park. "Mobile Voice Communication and Loneliness: Cell Phone Use
and the Social Skills Deficit Hypothesis." New Media and Society (n.d.): n.p. Ebscohost..
Web.
Gozzi, Raymond. "The Cell Phone Zone." Metaphors in Action. Ebscohost. N.p., (2008): 382-383.
Web. 13 Oct. 2014.
Kiesler, Sara and Pamela J. Hinds. Distributed Work. Book.google.com Massachusetts: Institute
of Technology, 2002. Web. 11 November 2014.
Lloyd, R. Scott. Make Technology Your Servant, Not Your Master, Elder Ballard Says. LDS.org.
4 May 2014. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
Miller-Ott, Aimee, Lynne Kelly, and Robert L. Duran. The Effects of Cell Phone Usage Rules on
Satisfaction in Romantic Relationships. 60 Vol. Eastern Communication Association,
2012. Print.
The Family: A Proclamation to the World. LDS.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day

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Saints, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2014.

Jayson, Sharon. Each Family Dinner Adds up to Benefits for Adolescents. USA Today. USA
Today. 24 March, 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.