ABSTRACT
When used in moderation, personal electronic devices can be superb tools for keeping in touch and organizing social gatherings or community activities. The facility they offer for communicating and scheduling has been transformative. From arranging a time to meet a friend in the park to coordinating an international conference, the smartphone, tablet and laptop have become indispensable, and the ease and speed they allow are unprecedented. At the same time, there can be little doubt that use of these devices has had a severe atomizing effect on society, and the very notion of virtual ‘friends’ and virtual ‘relationships’ is highly questionable. The rapid, global-scale take-up of these products may have brought benefits, but the costs of their convenience are substantial.
