When developing and supporting an opinion, it’s helpful to consider both sides of an issue. That way, you develop an informed opinion and can anticipate counter arguments which will strengthen your position. In this activity you will read two articles expressing opposing viewpoints on a topic. Then you will consider where you stand on the issue.

Four Corners

Consider the following statement:

Cell phones and other mobile devices have a damaging effect on our relationships with each other.

How much do you agree or disagree with this statement? Do you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree? When you are told to move, go to the corner that represents your opinion. Share your answer with your classmates and be sure to provide at least one reason.

Did your answer change based on reading some of our classmates’ responses? Or did you get additional ideas to support your own answer?

Keep all the points you read in the discussion in mind as you read the following two articles:

Point: Mobile Devices Can Harm Personal Relationships

Frequent reliance on mobile devices for all social interaction can result in anxiety. Many digital technologies were advertised as tools to improve work-life balance by freeing up time for more personal interaction. In practice, many mobile device owners have less time and are glued to their screens for fear of missing an important message or comment on social media. This can result in anxiety, according to Randi Zuckerberg, Dot Complicated editor-in-chief and former Facebook employee. Valerie Steeves’s 2014 Life Online report found that 39 per cent of Canadian students sleep with their cell phones in case they get messages at night, which has the potential to disrupt sleep patterns. Many users feel pressure about how they are portraying themselves on social networking sites, adding another level of stress, according to research compiled by Robin Marantz Henig in Newsweek.

Constantly checking mobile devices distracts users from reality. Using mobile devices while driving has raised safety concerns about distracted driving, and all Canadian provinces and territories (except for Nunavut) have made it illegal to hold mobile devices to communicate while driving. The use of mobile devices at formal events, as speaker Kevin Newman did following his 2010 University of Western Ontario commencement address, or in public can be a breach of social etiquette that is rude and disrespectful of others. According to Pamela Eyeing, president of the Protocol School of Washington, as reported by Anne Kingston and Alex Ballingall for Maclean’s, obsessive mobile device use is an addiction, causing users to act selfishly. Such behaviour bothers others, leading many establishments to take steps to prevent cell phone use.

Along these lines, mobile devices are isolating users from face-to-face communication and personal relationships. According to technology and media scholar Douglas Rushkoff, it is common for teenagers to engage their online friends and ignore real life around them. Human communication is very complex. Intangible aspects such as a person’s tone, volume, eye contact, and facial expressions can be critical to understanding. Online messaging omits these elements. Mobile devices make it easy to choose texting over talking. This can foster social isolation and loneliness because interpersonal interactions are sacrificed for online connections. Users are so busy communicating online that they are forgetting about their real-world personal relationships.

Counterpoint: Mobile Devices Keep Us All Connected

Mobile devices provide users with access to a wide range of educational opportunities. Information can be accessed anytime and anywhere in the world with a mobile device. Canadian classrooms are integrating mobile technology through interactive activities, whiteboards, blogs, and web quests. The Peel District School Board in Ontario has instituted a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy to encourage students to bring their own mobile devices to class to enhance their learning. Mobile devices can even reach into space. While Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield was the commander of the International Space Station from December 2012 to May 2013, he had 950,000 followers on the social media site Twitter and created a YouTube video that had twenty-two million views, introducing many Canadian students to space science on their mobile devices.

Increased community engagement is one way that mobile devices are changing social interaction. On November 3, 2014, high school students from across Canada joined together to launch Media Literacy Week and to learn how to use social media to promote volunteerism, advocate for global change, and build networks to support mental health. Throughout the world, people use their mobile devices to connect with peers who share their interests on a variety of topics, including online gaming, video editing, and writing, fostering friendship and collaboration. Widespread mobile social media use also provides a place to share common feelings, as evidenced by the Twitter feed from Canadian politician Jack Layton’s funeral that brought Canadians together in their grief.

Personal relationships are reinforced by online communication through mobile devices. In the physical world where economics and geography often limit travel opportunities, mobile devices empower their users to communicate with their friends and family quickly, easily, and over great distances. Sharing photographs, videos, blogs, and instant feedback from social networking websites strengthens friendships and family ties and illustrates the power of connectivity. Mobile devices allow users to connect no matter where they are.

Assignment 1: Examining Both Sides

Re-read both articles and this time identify the main idea and three supporting details for each article. Use the following organizer to record your ideas: Examining both sides of an issue