Minnesota, USA -August 17, 2011 - It is a familiar sight everywhere in the U.S. -and possibly the rest of the world as well; people walking around and 'talking' on their cellphones when in reality there is no one on the line. As everyone knows, this is the way that we avoid speaking with people who we do not want to acknowledge -sometimes people we know but other times people who we do not know like sales people. In time, this tactic may not work as we are depending on text messages more and more. What will the future of smartphones be like

More apps are being developed for smartphones that make all tasks of the day simpler. There is even an app to have a phone ring when you know that you want to get out of a 'situation' -yet it needs to be programmed prior to the 'encounter'. Let's face it, our phones are growing to be a part of us. We cannot be anywhere without them and we highly depend on them whether it is to communicate with others or get out of communicating.

The 'bump' method of sharing information is new with the iPhone and Android devices; it is easy to share information such as phone numbers and also make payments from bank accounts. Could this 'bump' method possibly be used to alert certain apps to activate Instead of 'bumping' another phone it could be like a series of 'shakes' so that we can get that needed 'call' to get away from a situation that we do not have time to handle.

Yet, what is happening with our society due to our dependence on smartphones like this  Is our 'social devices' making us anti-social We may feel like we are more connected since we can contact others at any time, yet we avoid social situations in general. Instead of paying attention to the world around us, we are staring down at our phones in 'awe'. We need more apps for more entertainment; social interactions are not enough anymore. We need to spice things up because life does not seem to have enough excitement.

But what happens to those who cannot operate a smartphone like others Will they fall behind and be forgotten or will they live a better life than the rest According to Pew, more than 40% of cellphone users entertain themselves with their cellphones when they are bored. Currently, only 35% of users actually own a smartphone; however, this number is bound to increase as more phones are developed and for a lower price.

As we communicate less and less on phone calls, it is likely that people will know that it is a 'fake' call and they will approach you. What will you do next Perhaps you will start using the 'mapping' method as to track where the people are who you want to avoid. Sadly, we are depending on technology more and more as time goes by. Indeed, we are becoming anti-social.