Smartphones have become an ubiquitous item across the globe and with them a ubiquitous societal problem. Since the introduction of the first smartphone in 2007, the world has changed for better and for worse. Never before had information been able to spread so quickly and easily. Since the smartphone’s genesis, the accessibility to information, communication and smartphones themselves have only been innovated upon to make the world wide network we have today. As technology increases and the competition between manufacturers escalates, more and more people obtain a smartphone. There are advantages to the globalisation that smartphones have achieved, though it is not all for the better. The explicitly observable drawbacks to the use of smartphones have proven them to be a hindrance to the wellbeing of society. People as a whole justify their actions in any way that they can. This justification muddles our perception of what is really happening to ourselves and the environment around us. An addict does not want to see himself as an addict. An abuser does not want to see himself as an abuser. A shopaholic does not want to see himself as an addict to consumerism. We do not want to admit our faults even though others see them and bring them to our attention--it is instinct to defend ourselves and justify our actions. The same is with smartphones. The evidence is all around us as most people in the United States have a smartphone, yet we rationalize why we need smartphones. In
According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, nearly two-thirds of the United States adults own a smartphone, which is up from 35% in 2011 (Anderson and Posts). As the acceptance of smartphones expand, many question whether it will have an adverse impact on our lives. Author Nicholas Carr indirectly criticizes the use of a smartphone; however, smartphones, such as Apple’s iPhone can have both positive and negative impacts on a population.
“More than three billion people worldwide now use the internet (Time), and 80 percent of them access if from their smartphones” (Smart Insights). A smartphone is a mobile phone that performs many of the functions of a computer, typically having a touchscreen interface, and much more. There is an abundant amount of smartphone brands out there in the world and while they all cost different prices, they all perform the same job. Each person uses their smartphone for various reasons, whether it’s for work or to make calls or texts. Smartphones have changed society in various ways, both good and bad. Although countless individuals think that smartphones have ruined American society, smartphones have actually benefited society because of more safety precautions, information on hand, and entertainment.
“In homes, in social settings, and at workplaces, where people once interacted with each other and engaged in actual conversation, silence has now taken over as everyone’s attention is dominated by their email, their text messages, and their social media.” Nowadays, many cannot imagine life without a cellphone. Yet, as much has cellphones have plenty of pros, they also come with a whole lot of cons. In what ways are cellphones changing the way we live today?
“In 2011, 92.8 million people in the U.S. used smartphones. By 2015, 190.5 million people used smartphones” (Holt, 2016). This new technology has vastly spread throughout the world and has improved the way Americans live their lives. Cell phones have given smartphone users numerous advantages, such as connecting the world, and enabling their multitasking skills. The usage of cell phones has gone to users heads as they have become addicted to their screens.
Although smartphones are making life in the twenty-first century very convenient, they introduce a variety of consequences from excessive use. There are parts of the author’s argument that could take into consideration some other points, while other parts of her assertion are spot on and very accurate.
Similar to the complexities of the Boeing 747 “super jet”, “No single person can comprehend the entire workings” of a cell phone. The cell phone found in the pocket of the majority of citizens of the world today include GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G networks, LTE, high-resolution cameras and millions of downloadable user-made applications to choose from. In fewer than 30 years, the cell phone went from a rare device only attainable by the wealthiest of the population, to a device that a large percentage of the population now owns. Whether on the streets of downtown Toronto, or a small village in poverty-stricken East Africa, it is becoming increasingly rare to find a person who does not own a mobile device.
The way we communicate is changing over time and for the worse. Why watch the news or read the newspaper, when you can view it on your phone? Why meet up for lunch, when you can make a phone call? Why write and send a letter, when you can send a text message? Smartphones enable us to connect, yet disconnect from society and the people around us. They are having an extreme effect on business, education, social-interaction, and our health and safety. Almost everyone has a mobile device, most of them being a smartphone. In addition, a recent study found that 90% of American adults own a cell phone and of those 90%, 64% are smartphone owners (Pew Research Center). This is a rising number each year and the world has become increasingly distant.
Having a smartphone is seen in two diverse ways, good and bad, but by most people around the world, see
Over the years, there has been an increased growth in the usage of smartphones across the world. Gee (2014) asserts that,
Seventy three percent of teens have access to a smart phone.Cell phones have became incredibly advanced in a relatively short amount of time, and the possibilities for the future are seemingly endless. Many of the early cell phone were considered to be car phones. There were no cell phones back then well there was but they was not like the ones people like to use. The cell phones that people had to use were really old and they were called back phones. The back phones was really confusing to work and no one could text or do any thing the only thing the cell phone could do was make calls. The phones that people really love to use touch screen phones because the is so much social media. The popular phone is gonna be the new i phone and the newest one is the i phone x and you will not believe how much it costs, it costs one thousand dollars. That is way to much for a phone. The teachers and associence should let student use there cell phones during school.
Cell phones have come a long way since April 3, 1973 when the first phone was invented. The first call in history was made that day by Motorola employee Martin Cooper, as he stood next to a 900 MHz base station in New York City and phoned to the headquarters of Bell Labs in New Jersey (The Cellphone Turns 40: Remembering Martin Cooper’s Historic Call). Since that day, cell phones have evolved to become what is now a all-in-one master piece. A current cell phone removes the need for various gadgets and replaces it with the click of just one button. Cell phones were first created to be strong, durable and not for long distance calling. Now, ordinary cellphones have evolved to the point where they are called smart phones. Although this incredible invention has changed our lives, it remains in debate of whether it was for the good or bad.
According to the U.N Telecom Agency there are about 6 billion cell phone subscribers in the world. (“UN says world has 6 billion cell phone subscribers, 2.3 billion Internet users”). With a number this high one must ask whether or not cell phones are more beneficial than they are harmful. Everyone recognizes the benefits of cell phones, but how often does society acknowledge the harms that cell phones induce on the public. The simplicity of communication through the use of cell phones does not outweigh the distractions caused by cell phones, because cell phones create addictions, discourage direct social contact amongst their consumers, and cause deaths.
Today people of the world have a new addiction. This new addiction is known as the smartphone. The smartphones of today have so many features that the owners of them can hardly seem to put them down just for a second. These smartphones not only offer some of the same features that a personal computer would, but they also provide a very high level of entertainment. Even with all the capabilities that smartphones offer they still require and great level of understanding and responsibility. The purpose of this paper is to help others understand the direction of smartphone technology, the ways smartphone technology changes society, understand the impact of change and manner in which we live our lives, and how smartphones could potentially create hazardous situations.
Technology advances every day and surely cellular phones are revolutionizing the XXI Century. New mobile devices contain most of the functions of a computer, better known as smart phones. They also give you the opportunity to stay in touch with whom you wish to and also you can take pictures, listen to music, and most significantly, it connects you with the rest of the world through the network. But have you ever stopped and think, how much time you spend using your phone, and how so often you check it? And without realizing that, most people who own a cell have created a dependency to their device, and sometimes spending too much time on it. Cellphones can have really good assets on society, but there are also some negative effects.
The number of mobile phone subscribers in the Philippines has soared from over 22.5 million in 2003 to over 57.3 million in 2007. It continues to rise daily at a very fast clip, allowing us to maintain our dubious claim as the text capital of the world. On the other hand, statistics in the United States show just how deeply ingrained cell phones have become in people’s lives: Fully 78 percent of all American adults own them, including 86 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds and 55 percent of those who are 65 and older. Overall, it is estimated that there are three billion cell phone users in the world.