For example when you hear a ringer go off, you automatically reach for your phone even though it may have been the person who could have been two seats away from you. You naturally go for your phone because of the responses you have gained before such as: a text message, a like on Facebook, or a retweet on Twitter. Because you have been conditioned to respond to the sound of the ringer your heart beats a little faster and your brain tells you to pick it up. "Researchers have shown that mirror neurons mediate the basic mechanisms of emotional resonance fun demential to human relationships (Wagner page 515.)" .
When I went to Starbucks earlier I sat down with my drink and began to observe how many people impulsively went for their phone after ordering. It seemed as though they were uncomfortable to be standing there idle. I was in my local Starbucks a quarter after noon and one to five people were wither reading or talking with their friends while the other majority were on their devices. Wenger describes how people today generally prefer "mediated communication" rather than personal interaction. She describes mediated communication as something that is tangible, just as technology can create a physiological response so can in person interaction. When we have face-to- face conversation we activate our mirror neurons and tap into each other's emotional states, and the resonance creates empathy between us. There is an analysis of forty-two facial muscles in the human face to create emotional expressions, which suggests there are four basic human emotions. When we rely on a screen as our form of communication we eliminate the link in communication and sensing another person based on their expressions.
Some may argue that social media is great because it helps to connect with loved ones from afar. However, the communication that we have over a screen is limited to a response rather than interaction that could take place in person.
