any of us feel naked without our smartphones. They keep Ma us continually connected to work, friends and family, teams, and social media groups. Most people keep their phones right in their pocket so that the phone is readily available to check the time, check the weather, check social media, check transit schedules, take photos and videos, and on, and on, and on Smartphones entertain, fill gaps in our day, and demand our attention with an endless string of notifications. Smart- phones offer a convenient alternative to face-to-face conversa tions, and at times they interrupt the conversations we do have. Interestingly, with all that smartphones can do to facilitate communications, they have also undermined verbal communi- cation and promoted incivility in the communications process. "Friends hardly call each other. People resist protocols that call for verbal communication.... People don't like using their phones to make calls or listen to voice mails." Texting seems to be the preferred mode, especially for younger people, when communicating with others. People use their phones as a shield to protect them from having to have difficult, embarrassing, or emotional conversa- tions: People use Facebook to notify friends and family about engagements, births, and even deaths and funerals. People end relationships via text, or use Twitter to vent complaints against companies and service providers. College students in a recent survey indicated that they send and receive more than 100 messages every day, and check for messages more than 16 times an hour. They admit to texting while on a date, while in the shower, and even in the middle of religious services and funerals. Ninety percent of respondents admit to texting while eating, and 80 percent said they text while using the washroom, and neither of these locations was considered an inappropriate texting setting. Texting during a face-to-face conversation with someone, during a movie, and during class were all deemed inappropriate texting settings, but students admitted to frequently sending texts during these times. "People calling, texting and responding to e-mails at inappropriate times and places have become an issue in both a professional and business context." The Wall Street Journal reports. SOURCES: 1 De Avila, The Unned Cellphone App: Calling" The Wall Street Joum of (Eastern edition), Febru 24, 2016 D1, S. H. Are Smartphones Kiling the Art of face-to-face Conversation? We Ask the Expe http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/are-smartphones-really-killing-the-art-of-conversation, A. M "College Students Admit Texting in the Most Inappropriate Places" CBS News, https://www.cbunews.com news/college students admit-texting-in-the-most-inappropriate-places/; B. Pachter, "Mind Your Business Manners: Etiquette Suggestions for Success CPA Practice Management Forum 6(5) (May 2010): 1603 pa Apply Your Understanding 1. Can the basic interpersonal communication model be used as an aid in understanding the impact of smart- phone usage? If so, how? 2. How have smartphones transformed the way in which college and university students communicate? 3. Do you think that as people become more connected technologically they become less connected interperson ally? Why or why not?