At mention of the word ‘phone’, you might proceed to think about the last reason you used it or maybe you might be reaching for it because you want to know if the person you were just talking to has replied yet. Whatever the thought may be, I’m pretty sure we can all agree that there is an abundance of phone users. Whilst phones allow us to connect with people and information, it consequently disconnects us from the world around us. For this reason, the following photographs communicate more than the fact that a lot of people have phones. They instil that we must make a conscious effort to stay off our phones in order to reconnect with our surroundings.

These photos denote that whether we are bored on the move, anytime is seemingly an acceptable time to use our phones. For example, the two men in the park share the same space but neither of them are engaged with their environment. Or in the following photo, the direction of the man’s steps appear to be headed off path due to being focused on his phone. 

I find that the final photo summarises the notion of isolation arising when using a phone. The people behind her are a blur as she is fully focused on her conversation. She is disconnected from her busy surroundings. On the other hand, we are drawn to her through the positioning of the railing. The railing acts as a physical representation of staying connected with our surroundings. That whilst owning a phone is a commonality between people, so too can our physical presence.