Currently, people have a tendency to fall back to using their phone during face to face conversations. This is due to a number of pull factors:

• Entertainment on demand:
  • A personal mobile device has access to effectively unlimited content that is tailored to the individual user's preference. This is available whenever and wherever, regardless of what the user is currently doing. [reference]
• Wider socialization
  • If we consider a personal device as a digital extension of a person, then participating in social media is a form of socialization with a wider group. We are hard wired to enjoy socialization, and whatever your opinion on social media's ethical standings, this activity provides positive neural feedback. [reference]
• Communication
  • Devices also allow person to person or person to people communication. Conversations are facilitated through devices via text or other media.
• information

These are positive points for the user of the device, but in a social setting the act of pulling out and using your phone sends a different message to the people around you. The person is removing themselves from the conversation and opting to engage with other people's content. this creates pain points for others:

• Rejection

  • The act of using a personal device during a conversation signals that the person would rather be on their phone consuming digital content than continue talking or spending time in their company's presence, Whether this is true or not.

• Voluntary isolation

  • The user has decided to isolate themselves from other people in their vicinity.

Our goal is to negate the negative effects of using a personal device during a conversation. There are many valid reasons for doing this, such as replying to an urgent message, checking the time, checking for emails or other notification. It's also a fun activity, and will be done regardless of the potential harm it causes. We want to create a digital space where the virtual extension of yourself and those of the people around you are connected, and using the phone isn't stepping out of a conversation, but joining an alternate one with the same participants.