Princeton Onwas

Play media comment.

Executive Summary:

Young adults in face to face communication

Methods: During my research I used 3 methods, focus group, surveys, and interviews.

My focus group includes five people. We all met in the in the Martin Luther King Jr. Library in one of the private group study rooms. Rather than just blatantly asking the group my questions, I conducted a short activity in which they participated in a written answer survey.

In the survey started by having the members of my focus group fill out an anonymous questionnaire containing my probing interview questions listed. We then discussed the answers as a group, and I collected the data.

I interviewed 6 people with a set of 8 topical questions

Research question: To what extent do young adults view the use of phones acceptable during face-to-face communication?

Hypothesis: Young adults believe the use of phones during face to face communication is acceptable when the other person gives explicit consent. 

Findings: People’s answers were a little more detailed in the focus group because not only was it anonymous, but they had time to think through and write out their answers. I also noticed more variety in the answers I received. 20% people preferred spending zero of their time texting during a face to face conversation. 70% of the people put that it is not acceptable to text while engaging in a face to face conversation. 90% believe it is okay to text if given out consent. 50% put down that they have used their phones without given the consent.

Most of the feedback I have received demonstrated that the use of cell phone use during a face to face conversation is only acceptable when given consent, and the hypothesis is strong.

The data I collected was very interesting when learning more about how people view what is and is not acceptable during a face to face conversation, consent or no consent.