Abstract

In this article, Marc Husband considers the significant changes in the use and utilisation of new technologies, such as smartphones and other devices, and their impact on face-to-face interactions in youth work settings. The article suggests that significant changes have begun to manifest in youth work settings regarding interaction, which practitioners feel are significant in the process of communication and the development of youth work and young people’s relationships. The research and theories discussed offer useful ways of understanding new interaction behaviours and begin to develop a language to communicate the positive and negative aspects of the use of new technologies.