Smartphones and interpersonal relationships: An exploratory and descriptive examination of how texting plays a role in face-to-face communication

This research was conducted in order to examine how texting plays a role in the face-to-face communication in regards to interpersonal relationships and smartphones. The goal of the research was to uncover the ways in which individuals are motivated to use texting from their smartphone as a replacement for face-to-face communication, whether or not there are distractions occurring due to smartphone use, as well as the ways in which individuals reported texting from their smartphones affecting their interpersonal relationships. The results for research question one show that there are several subthemes of convenience with motivational factors for using text, rather than communicating face-to-face. Research question two exemplified many instances in which participant's mention times in which distraction from face-to-face communication has occurred due to a smartphone, as well as instances in which people found times and places that they considered it to be acceptable. Research question three looked at various instances in which people may report a smartphone affecting their interpersonal relationships.