Cell Phone Use: Changing Life as We Know it

How has the use of cell phones changed people in society physically and mentally in their daily lives of work, school, and social life? Times have changed over the years. It used to be completely normal for teenagers not to have a cell phone. Today, almost all teenagers have one. Is this level of technology a good or a bad thing? People do not really realize the dreadful effects of cell phones in society because all you ever hear about are the good things cell phones do for our everyday lives. However, this is not the case at all. Cellular phones are starting to be used for everything from shopping to social networking. They have begun to blur the boundary between personal and public life which is leading to a problem. Although cell phones have many positive functions and can help people in their everyday lives, the same negative effects of cell phones are going to continue to grow throughout society. Many people are not realizing that cell phones essentially have the capability to change everyday life as we know it, but not in a beneficial way. Mobile phones are beginning to affect human interaction. These devices are used at the dinner table, out with friends, with family, and anywhere people go. People feel the urge to bring them everywhere they go. Our smartphones and other devices make staying united easier than ever. We are constantly on Facebook and Twitter, checking out new apps, and “checking in” so our friends know our whereabouts (Jayson). When is the use of cell phone’s too much? It is unfortunate that real-life interactions are on the outs as cell phone conversations, texting, instant messaging, and emails start to take up more of our time (Glaser). For young people especially, having a cell phone or iPod in hand at the ready is the default mode while walking the streets. That means much less chance of conversation with the people who populate their real lives (Glaser). Although cell phones can sometimes be beneficial, they are distracting to people most of the time. Humans are beginning to think that calling or texting seems so much more uncomplicated. Due to this technology change, we ultimately end up seeing our friends face to face much less. Whether you are with family, on a date, or meeting someone new, there is something memorable about face to face interactions. A text does not do enough justice compared to a chat with a friend over lunch. People do not respect the value of seeing a real smile like they used to. Instead, they would prefer a smiley-face emoticon. Businesses have even changed tremendously since the use of the cell phone. It used to be that when you got home from work that you were all done and could spend time with your family. Now you get constant emails and reminders from your boss from sunrise to sunset. Perhaps it would be going too far to prepare for important conversations by throwing your cell phone into the closet, or leaving it in the car on first dates (Lin). But if you are spending the day with people you really care about, you might want to reconsider the next time you reach for your phone to reply to text message or check sports scores (Lin). This human interaction is changing society in ways most people do not even notice. Sadly, human interaction is not the only thing that cell phone’s are affecting though. These distracting devices have posed a huge threat towards people physically and mentally without them even knowing or admitting it. First of all, mentally, our tech saturation has reached such a critical point that some experts say it is rewiring our brains (Jayson). One new book even suggests that our gadgets can make us act as if we have psychological disorders ranging from narcissism and anxiety problems to anxiety problems to addictions and compulsive behaviors (Jayson). Another mental problem is texting because the constant use of shortening words while you text may lead to bad language skills that are hard to break. The next thing you know, students will be writing their english essay the same way they send a text message. This can affect a person’s ability to learn by the overuse of cell phone’s. Also, this so called key to the future, is making people have an addiction that cannot be cured. When we forget our phone at home, we cannot seem to stop thinking about it. The world is becoming way too dependent on their cell phone which is leading to obsession. Due to research, we have found out health effects that hurt us physically. It was feared that the intensity of electromagnetic radiation from cell phone’s being clasped to people’s heads while making calls, or carried around close to their bodies in pockets, around necks, or on belts, could raise the temperature of tissue and organs, and through prolonged contact lead to tumours, cancers, or other illness (Goggin). In media reports, the adverse health effects most often linked with mobile phones were brain tumors, other cancers, headaches, and brain damage (Goggin). Another physical attribute phone’s can cause is less sleep. This applies especially to teenagers because they stay up late to text or get on social media 24/7! People are hurt by the use of these cell phone’s but still decide to use them more than they should. They would not be harmful if people knew how to use them for the right amount of time at the correct time.
People are also becoming distracted by the use of cell phone’s in everything they do throughout their whole day. It is affecting them, and one’s around them as well. Driving has become a huge problem with cell phones. With virtually every American owning this device, distracted driving has become a threat on the nation’s roads ("New York Times"). Studies say that drivers using phones are four times as likely to cause a crash as drivers without cell phones; yet Americans have largely ignored that research. ("New York Times"). It is estimated that at least 23% of all car accidents each year involve cell phone use -- that is 1.3 million crashes ("Statistics on Texting & Cell Phone Use While Driving"). Cell phones are not just distracting for driving; statistics have shown that over the years, the number of injuries for distracted walking with a cell phone has increased greatly.
“If current trends continue, I wouldn’t be surprised if the number of injuries of pedestrians caused by cell phones doubles again between 2010 and 2015,” said Jack Nasar, co-author of the study ("Distracted Walking: Injuries Soar for Pedestrians on Phones”). Driving and walking with mobile devices may be major problems, but there are also smaller problems that could lead to major problems in the future. Games and texting have been causing many students not to pay attention in class. Playing games all of the time in class can lead to lower grades. Texting is also a problem in class because students are too busy worrying about what someone else is doing instead of what they should be learning. Lastly, social networking has become a huge distraction to people. Society is becoming less and less productive because they become mesmerized on their phone. Tasks are not getting done because people are obsessed with social networking such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. As we can see, there has been a lot of research done on the negative effects of cell phones; it is whether people will listen and notice when it has become a distraction. When people realize it is a problem, then it will be fixed. Society is not realizing this is a problem though which will lead to various problems in the future.
The world is changing all around us; some good and some bad. Technology of cell phone’s will continue to grow and spread. Take precautions with your cell phone! Have face-to-face interactions instead of texting. One text, one call, one game, could hurt yourself and others around you. It can hurt your human interaction or could even eventually hurt people mentally and physically. Don’t let your cellphone be a distraction.

Works Cited
"Statistics on Texting & Cell Phone Use While Driving." . Law Offices of Edgar Snyder & Associates®, n.d. Web. 3 Mar 2014. .
Jayson, Sharon. USA TODAY. Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc., 2014. Web. 2 Mar.2014..
Glaser, Mark. "How Cell Phones Are Killing Face-to-Face Interactions." (2007): n. page. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. .
Lin, Helen Lee. "How Your Cell Phone Hurts Your Relationships The mere presence of a phone affects how you relate to others." Scientific American. 4 Sep 2012: n. page. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. .
Goggin, Gerard. Cell Phone Culture. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print.
"Driven to Distraction." New York Times n.d., n. pag. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. .
"Distracted Walking: Injuries Soar for Pedestrians on Phones." Research and Innovation Communications. The Ohio State University, 19 Jun 2013. Web. 4 Mar 2014. .

Cited: Jayson, Sharon. USA TODAY. Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc., 2014. Web. 2 Mar.2014.. Glaser, Mark. "How Cell Phones Are Killing Face-to-Face Interactions." (2007): n. page. Web. 4 Mar Web. 4 Mar. 2014. . Goggin, Gerard. Cell Phone Culture. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print. "Driven to Distraction." New York Times n.d., n. pag. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. .