According to the results of a recent study cell phones breed selfishness in many people, not just in terms of how they act around people they are close to such as their partners, who often get ignored in favour of a cell phone – particularly today's smart phones – but also in terms of how likely they are to connect with people or take part in things that are not cell phone related, even if it means helping others.
The study was carried out by researchers at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, with the study aiming to look at how cell phone use affected behaviours and actions that were intended to benefit other people or society, which is known as pro-social behaviour.
As part of the study students at college were asked what the likelihood was of them volunteering for an activity that would benefit the community. Those who had just been using their cell phones were found to be less likely to volunteer than those who had not recently used their phones. Another scenario was used where students were presented with a puzzle and told that solving it would mean some money being donated to charity. Those who had been using their cell phones directly before were found to be putting less effort into solving the puzzle even though it would benefit a charity.
The report from the study concluded: "The cell phone directly evokes feelings of connectivity to others, thereby fulfilling the basic human need to belong. This results in reducing one’s desire to connect with others or to engage in empathic and pro-social behavior."
