The population of the world is over seven billion and counting. By the end of this year the amount of electronic devices will exceed the world’s population. Electronic devices such as laptops, cell phones, and tablets have been gradually increasing since the 1980’s. Many people in the world today have multiple devices that they use every day constantly wherever they are. Wireless hotspots are a necessity for people and the World Wide Web has been placed in everyone’s fingertips by a portable or non-portable device. The wide availability of these addicting electronic devices is ultimately hindering real human connection or presence in the households of families, the work environment, and in a classroom setting. Families have multiple laptops, tablets, and cell phones depending on what they do on an every day basis. The amount spent on these items everyday has taken over the desire to connect with someone in a real setting. The applications and the Internet on these devices make it insanely easy to have a conversation without ever seeing the person. “Americans own approximately 24 electronic products per household.” (Forbes, McCue). People keep on buying these devices every couple years and once the new model comes out with something bigger and better it is a must have. The temptation is overwhelming and some people once these devices will not put them down for hours and it is hard to put these items aside. People are drawn into these devices and they want to know everything about everyone and they are always looking for a new way to interact with people that aren’t directly in front of them. “New neural pathways are created as a result of using the internet and new relationships are being formed more quickly and by different avenues” (Eckert, O’Donoghue)
Families make sure they have all their devices electronics packed up for vacations because they aren’t satisfied with just interacting with each other constantly. Watching television, playing video games, or on a cell phone especially in young individuals are a necessity. “According to a new study from the Kaiser family foundation. Those ages 8 to 18 spend more than seven and a half hours a day with such devices…” (NY Times, Lewin). Families have substituted family game nights or a dinner time where every one is present at the same table to a point where everyone wants to do their own thing and use their devices to talk to others and it impacts how families interact on a daily basis hindering real human connections between them. When electronic devices are put into the work environment it hinders the ability to get the task done at hand. People get so used to using their cell phone everyday that they need it at work. For some employers cells phones are a distraction and they don’t want to have them pose a problem in human interaction. “Sixty-four percent of CIOs surveyed said greater use of handheld devices, such as smartphones and tablets, has led to more breaches in workplace etiquette over the past three years” (Accountingweb, Bramwell). Employers want to see their workers being productive as well as working as a team and interacting with each other every day. While working in a team environment a person must interact with the people in front of them constantly. There is a digital divide the work setting and people don’t realize how much they really take the time out of their days at work to respond to emails and text messages on their devices. The real human connection is presence, but many workers are taking away that presence with distractions from their curiosities such as searching the web at a their desk. The electronic devices in schools have been rapidly put in place as soon as they have come into the world. “Media technology is an integral part of children’s live in the twenty-first century” (Futureofchildren, Brooks-Gunn). Before the usage of the World Wide Web was introduced students used information from other colleagues and classmates to learn