Smartphones, Social Judgment, and the Self (SOC-0021)

Fall 2026 · SOC 0021 · Tufts University · 3 credits · Undergraduate

Smartphone use as a socially meaningful and emotionally charged practice. Examination of the social meanings attached to phone use and how those meanings shape evaluations of the self and others. Topics include everyday judgments about screen time; emotions such as guilt, anxiety, and moral concern associated with smartphone use; and the influence of cultural norms and social expectations on lived experiences of connection, distraction, and attention. Readings, discussion, and real-world observation to analyze how smartphones function as sites of social regulation, identity formation, and moral evaluation in contemporary society. Students who have previously taken this course as SOC 94-MM1 are not eligible.

Course codes: SOC-0021, SOC 0021, SOC0021, SOC-21, SOC 21, SOC21, STS-0021, STS 0021, STS0021, STS-21, STS 21, STS21

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