PROBLEM STATEMENT: The way we interact in our relationships is continuously changing as technology advances. Technology can be used to enhance or destroy relationships depending on how people manage their use within relationships. Human relationships especially romantic ones are essential as they have an impact on a person's emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Most of the research to date has focused on the quantitative measurement of the advantages and disadvantages of technology as well as on the problematic use of smartphones. Little research has been done on the effect of smartphones on romantic relationship maintenance. THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH: The objective of this research was to find out how individuals in romantic relationships were using their smartphones to maintain their relationships. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY: This research followed an interpretivist qualitative approach. Data was collected firstly through a discussion on Twitter under the hashtag #“RomanticMaintenancewithSmartphones”. This was then followed by fourteen in-depth semi-structured interviews which were done with individuals who were in romantic relationships or had been in a romantic relationship less than six months ago. A combination of purposive, snowballing and convenience sampling techniques were used. The affordance theory was used as a theoretical framework for the research and the data was analysed using thematic analysis. FINDINGS: The study identified individual and interactional affordances of smartphones for romantic relationship maintenances. Relationship thinking, breaking away from reality and displaying intimacy and affection where the individual affordances identified in the study. The interactive affordances were showing support and encouragement, planning and organising, openness for conflict management and displaying transparency. Personal values and culture were seen to have an impact on which affordances of smartphones a person utilised. In addition to maintaining the relationship positively, there were also negative outcomes of the actualization of the affordances of smartphones such as unrealistic expectations created on partners and partner abstraction.

Smartphones and social media are a central part of everyday life for many young adults in the modern digital society. The development of digital devices has created opportunities for young adults to be present in a digital world through social media while at the same with people they meet face-to-face. Smartphones make the digital world portable, which give us access to a virtual network no matter where we are or what we are doing. This study aims to answer the question: How do young adults perceive a constant accessibility to a virtual world through social media in face-to-face meetings? The empirical data is based on interviews in focus groups along with hidden observations. Results from the study indicate that technology has become an essential part of young adults as they are never separated from their smartphones and regularly need to check new activities; whether they are alone or in the company of others. Social media is perceived as disruptive in face-to-face meetings, although still used frequently. It appears as though young adults are struggling to find a balance between a digital and analogue presence in a world where they can be both here and there simultaneously.

This dissertation examines the relational implications of the presence of mobile technology within the basic communication course. To guide the research and interpret the results Mottet, Frymier, and Beebe’s (2006) rhetorical and relational goals theory is utilized. To investigate this phenomenon a survey design was employed, and participants were asked to respond to open-ended, closed-ended, and descriptive questions. Results of this study shed light upon how and when university students use technology, as well as the positive and detrimental results such usage has upon the development and quality of their relationships in the classroom, both with instructors and other students. Results from this dissertation revealed that students are frequent and heavy users of mobile technology (particularly “social” applications), but generally do not feel as if they are dependent upon their devices. In open-ended responses, students described ways in which mobile technology facilitated out of class relationships with peers and instructors, but hindered the development of relationship with peers in the classroom; these descriptions aligned with the fact that students who exhibited or experienced phubbing (snubbing someone with one’s phone) described less classroom connectedness than their peers. While differing perceptions of classroom connectedness among students were correlated with differing experiences of phubbing, perceptions of rapport with instructors did not differ significantly among participants. Further, students who were more relationally oriented experienced higher perceptions of classroom connectedness than their more rhetorically oriented counterparts. Finally, students in this study generally prioritized rhetorical instructor attributes over relational ones. These results are further explored in the discussion portion of this dissertation.

Esta investigación se encuentra realizada en la Amazonía peruana, una región donde se presenta poca accesibilidad al uso de internet y, al mismo tiempo, inmersa en el contexto de virtualización de la educación. En dicha región, el acceso a la tecnología no solo es una necesidad, sino también un privilegio. En ese sentido, esta investigación busca comprender la relación que existe entre las habilidades sociales y el phubbing en estudiantes de la amazonía peruana de entre 18 a 25 años. La base teórica de la que parte este estudio es el manual de la escala de habilidades sociales de Gismero (2002). Por esta razón, se utilizará tres de sus dimensiones: autoexpresión en situaciones sociales, expresión de enfado o disconformidad y capacidad para iniciar interacciones positivas con el sexo opuesto. La propuesta metodológica que se plantea en este estudio es de carácter cualitativo. Por esta razón, se elaboró un cuestionario de 32 preguntas cerradas que serán realizadas a 30 jóvenes universitarios de la Amazonía peruana: universidad pública ‘‘Universidad César Vallejo’’ (15) y otra privada ‘‘Universidad Nacional de San Martin’’ (15) de todas las carreras a expeción de comunicaciones, psicología y medicina. El posible resultado podría evidenciar que los estudiantes inciden en el acto de phubbing, debido a la restricción limitada de poder salir de casa y, a la vez, buscar maneras de seguir en contacto con personas a las que no pueden ver, lo cual podría perjudicar sus habilidades sociales con las personas de su entorno real. / This investigation takes place in the Peruvian Amazon, one of Peru’s largest regions, where accesability to the internet and by consequence virtual educational courses is still limited. In this region, acces to the internet is not only a necessity, but also a priviledge. In this sense the investigation yearns to comprehend the relationship between social skills and phubbing through Peruvian students between the age of 18 and 25. As a theoretical base to this study I’ve used the manual of social skill scale by Gismero (2002). I chose to use three of her scales: Self-expression in social situations, expression of anger or disagreement and the capacity to initiate positive interactions with people of the opposing gender. The methodological proposal of this study is interpretation of a qualitative nature. For this reason, I’ve elaborated a 32 closed question questionnaire to be completed by 30 students, half from the public University “Cesar Vallejo” and half from the private “National University of San Martin”. I’ve excluded students from the following career branches: communication, psychology and medicine. The outcome, potentially evidencing that students are engaging in the act of phubbing, as a result of being in lockdown and searching for ways to retain active social lives. Social and physical distancing could have caused damage to their social skills and their face to face relationships. / Trabajo de investigación