Former Widener prof examines ill effects of smartphone use in new documentary
RIDLEY TOWNSHIP » Many people’s hands feel lost and empty without them because they often perceive their smartphone as another body appendage.
Former Widener professor Dwight Pallmeyer recently released a documentary outlining the unintended consequences that people around the world are experiencing due to their growing dependencies on smartphones.
The 69-minute documentary “Cellular Aftershocks” took Pallmeyer five years to complete. Specifically, the film outlines the following serious problems: rising rates of teen depression, anxiety and suicide; learning disabilities; interpersonal problems; loss of a sense of identity and values; lost productivity at work; and safety problems stemming from pedestrian and automobile accidents.
“We all hear about these issues from time to time, but often fail to recognize how consequential they can be,” Pallmeyer said. “For example, the addictive nature of the phone makes it next to impossible for many not to check their phone at least 50 times each day. It triggers dopamine in the brain in the same way the neurochemical triggers addiction among cocaine and cigarette users.”
Pallmeyer, a resident of Woodlyn, released the documentary internationally through Indierights films in Los Angeles for personal viewing and through Artfilms in Austrailia for distribution to universities and high schools.
Pallmeyer says he chose Delaware County as the setting for filming “Cellular Aftershocks,” not only based on convenience because he’s a resident there, but because he feels the county is characteristic of many places around the world. The county is multiethnic, has some of the richest and poorest communities in the area, and is adjacent to Philadelphia, one of America’s largest cities
The film features several individuals in Delaware County who suffer the same consequences that academic researchers have noted in international studies.
As an avid cell phone user himself, Pallmeyer can relate to the subjects he interviewed. He counts himself among those who have felt some ill effects caused by his own cell phone use.
“During the past five years I bumped into a car on the George Washington Bridge, while glancing at my phone on one occasion and I actually totaled two vehicles in Lancaster County after missing an exit and glancing at my phone for directions,” he confessed. “Just imagine the guilt I would have carried with me for the rest of my life, had someone been killed in that accident.”
“Cellular Aftershocks” closes with Pallmeyer’s recommendations for individuals, parents, and leaders, stemming from a plethora of research studies. The credits run over an original song created for the film, “The Smartphone Blues.” Pallmeyer penned the lyrics and then sent it to his friend, Los Angeles recording artist, Glenn Stiglic who set the words
to melody and performed the piece. Pallmeyer then added the vocal talents of Widener University’s student Kyra Jones for background vocals.
“I don’t expect to ever earn back the dollars I invested in the project nor be compensated for the literally thousands of hours I spent doing this,” Pallmeyer explained. “But profit is rarely the driving impetus for most documentarians.”
Pallmeyer grew up with his five siblings in St. Louis, Mo., after his parents served as Lutheran missionaries in Japan. In addition to being a published author, Pallmeyer is the current owner of a small audio-video company, DDP
Productions LLC, and was the former owner of thevoiceoverbiz.com. Prior to his work in academe, Pallmeyer was a news director in both Wyoming and Illinois and reported frequently for both CBS radio and National Public Radio. He has served as the faculty advisor of four different student radio stations.
Pallmeyer earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Valparaiso University in 1979, a master’s degree in mass communication from University of Minnesota in 1981, and a Ph.D. in communication studies from Northwestern University in 1994.
The filmmaker is the father of two adult children, Noah and Rachel,
who received their primary and secondary educations through Wallingford Swarthmore School District schools before earning their college degrees. As a former Wallingford resident, Pallmeyer has given separate presentations to the Strath Haven students, parents, and faculty on the dangers of smartphone dependency.
Pallmeyer is an active member of Wallingford Presbyterian Church, where he has served as elder and chaired the worship committee He was formerly the president of the Council of Nativity Lutheran Church in Chester until its closing in 2005.
“Cellular Aftershocks” is Pallmeyer’s second documentary film. He released his first documentary, “The Critics: Stories from the Inside Pages in 2006.” That documentary takes an indepth look at criticism as an art form, the social value of a critic’s work, the various ways that renowned critics began their careers, and the passion and intellect with which all professional critics must approach their work.
Pallmeyer states he is grateful to local businesses and individuals for their support of “Cellular Aftershocks,” the Greater Philadelphia Film Foundation and to the students, colleagues, and the administration at Widener University, where he chaired
the communication studies department from 1999 to 2014 and continued teaching until 2019. He also served as the first director of the Dig.ital Media Informatics program there. Prior to joining Widener University, Pallmeyer taught in the journalism program at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Calif. Pallmeyer said he also counts the development and building of a new building on the Widener campus, Freedom Hall, which serves communication studies, computer science and Digital Media Informatics as another of his key accomplishments.
Pallmeyer hopes examining smartphone use provides valuable lessons about the way advancing technologies can do everyone great harm if they are not actively conscious of their impact. “Unfortunately, as 5G technology grows along with ar tificial intelligence and augmented reality, those consequences will become even more intrusive,” the filmmaker commented. “Technology won’t slow down so we will all need to redouble our efforts to stay in charge of the technology we use, so we don’t allow technology to take charge of our lives.”
“Cellular Aftershocks” is now available for streaming from both Amazon Prime and from Google Play.