“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”
-Anais Nin
The smartphone is amazing. The conveniences it has bestowed on modern life are nothing short of miraculous. But technological advances often carry unexpected drawbacks and unintended consequences. Just ask Alfred Nobel.
It is the responsibility of product designers to watch for the emergence of these unforeseen issues and, when we identify them, apply our methods to address their impact in our future products and services.
Today, one of these unexpected issues is emerging. The smartphone is driving a fundamental change in the way we interact as humans and it may be having an impact on our happiness.
Humans are social animals. We seek companionship and acceptance. The relationships we build are critical to our individual happiness and well-being. On the hierarchy of needs, Maslow puts “love and belonging” third, superseded only by basic physiological survival and general safety.
The way we fulfill this need is by sharing events, thoughts, feelings and ideas with one another. By opening ourselves up to others, we build the trust and common ground required for deep, reciprocal relationships.
