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Walking through the campus of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, one scene is almost impossible to miss. Students sit together before lectures, yet many are focused on their smartphone screens instead of talking to one another. In classrooms, cafeterias, libraries, and hostels, smartphones have become constant companions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the years, smartphones have transformed communication. Unlike in the past, when owning a mobile phone was considered a luxury, smartphones are now a necessity for many people. They have made it easier to communicate instantly, access information, study online, conduct business, and stay connected with family and friends. However, as technology continues to bring people closer virtually, many are beginning to question whether it is quietly pushing them apart in real life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Daniel Othegbemeh, a 200-level student of Journalism and Media Studies at Delta State University, smartphones are both beneficial and distracting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I spend almost the whole day on my phone unless my battery runs down, I don’t have data, I’m in class, or I’m sleeping,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite spending several hours online, Daniel admitted that he still experiences moments of loneliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There are days when I feel down and think chatting with someone will make me feel better, but most times it doesn’t. I eventually lose interest in chatting,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that he mainly uses his smartphone for chatting, watching movies, and following current events. Although he believes smartphones have strengthened his relationships with family and friends, he acknowledged that they have also created unhealthy digital habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Some friendships exist almost entirely online. Sometimes I even feel like I owe someone a reply or a Snapchat streak,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another student, Emmanuel Ighofose, a 100-level Philosophy student, shared a similar experience. He said he spends much of his free time browsing the internet, using artificial intelligence for academic work, promoting his business, and interacting on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although he appreciates the convenience smartphones provide, he believes they cannot completely replace face-to-face relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“People spend less time talking to one another because everyone is focused on their phones,” he said, adding that he could hardly imagine staying away from his smartphone for an entire week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond the university environment, older generations have also observed changes in the way people communicate. Onyemenam Tarela Erica, a parent and Digital Technology teacher at Splendid Spring Demonstration School, Osubi, recalled that communication before the widespread use of smartphones relied mainly on face-to-face conversations, handwritten letters, and landline telephones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There were stronger community relationships in my generation. Today’s young people spend more time online than interacting with people physically,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to her, smartphones have both strengthened and weakened family relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“They help families stay connected, but they also reduce real conversations. Even in the same house, people often send messages instead of speaking to one another,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She believes young people are more connected digitally than ever before but often feel more isolated because they spend less time building meaningful relationships in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Offering an expert perspective, Mr. Emmanuel Egere Odje, a lecturer in the Department of English and Literary Studies at Delta State University, said the increasing use of smartphones is driven by several factors, including remote work, online learning, business activities, and the widespread use of social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that while smartphones have made communication faster and strengthened long-distance relationships, excessive use can reduce meaningful human interaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Social media can create feelings of loneliness because people may become isolated from those around them while spending hours online,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also warned that excessive smartphone use could negatively affect critical thinking, sleep patterns, productivity, and self-esteem if left unchecked. According to him, maintaining a healthy balance requires setting aside time for offline activities, spending quality time with family and friends, participating in sports and social clubs, and reducing unnecessary screen time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The smartphone has undoubtedly transformed the way people communicate, learn, work, and access information. It has broken geographical barriers and placed knowledge within easy reach. However, the experiences shared by students, parents, and educators suggest that genuine human connection cannot be fully replaced by a screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As smartphones continue to shape modern life, perhaps the more important question is not how connected we are online, but whether we are making enough time to connect with the people sitting beside us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faith Ogbotor<\/strong> is a student journalist and a 200-level undergraduate in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Delta State University, Abraka. She has a strong interest in feature writing and enjoys exploring social issues that affect students and society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Walking through the campus of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, one scene is almost impossible to miss. Students sit together before lectures, yet many are focused on their smartphone screens instead of talking to one another. In classrooms, cafeterias, libraries, and hostels, smartphones have become constant companions. Over the years, smartphones have transformed communication. Unlike […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1601,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"iawp_total_views":8,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,15],"tags":[31,25,431,432,56],"class_list":["post-1598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trendingnews","category-viewspoint","tag-abraka","tag-delsu","tag-opinio-article","tag-smartphone-addiction","tag-view-point"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1598"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1599,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1598\/revisions\/1599"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}