Social Impact of Cell and Smart Phone Devices

1.    Introduction

A huge technical progress of 21st century became the reason of inventing such a wonderful thing as mobile phone. Is this thing as important as we consider it to be? Certainly, invention of mobile phone and other modern technologies served as a crucial moment in the development of all spheres of life, but the creation of such a device has its drawbacks, as well.

2.    History

“Ten years ago if the person were to think that everyone and their mother would have a cell phone, then they would have been looked at as though they were crazy” (The Center of Technology). But, unexpectedly, the phone industry was developing incredibly fast.  Nowadays, mobile phone is a common thing for everyone. Calling, sending files or chatting on the Internet has become very easy. Now people are dependent on the mobile phones. For some of them, the mobile phone is a form of communications with relatives, friends, while others take it for the feeling of safety. People simply cannot leave their home without this little thing. Mobile phone has brought convenience to people’s lives. Most people who accidentally went out without a mobile phone feel like having “no hands” or important detail of their clothes – in short, uncomfortable.

There are so many smartphones with amazing features that the market is flooded with the latest models. While many prefer turning a blind eye to any danger caused by using a cell phone, scholars, indeed, have found that too frequent use of mobile phones can be harmful to people’s health.

3.    Advantages and disadvantages

Cell and smartphone devices have both advantages and disadvantages. One of the major advantages is the fact that cell and smartphone devices are the means of communication with other people. With modern mobile technology, employees have the possibility to communicate with each other very quickly.

Using new technologies, organizations and companies can share various sorts of information with the public very fast. Today, they are not supposed to print inserts and wait for the Sunday paper to let people know about their sales. Instead, they can easily tell every person in the world about an exciting promotion due to social networking, email, Internet advertisements and, of course, their sites. All these things are accessible due to the smartphone devices.
The use of mobile devices (such as mobile phones and smartphones) with wireless networks allows talking about mobile learning. On account of phone devices, there is an opportunity to teach and learn in any place outside the traditional audience. It is an activity that allows people to be more productive through interaction or to create information using digital handheld devices that can be stored in a pocket.

Furthermore, mobile devices can be used for creation and further transmission of information quickly (photos, videos, voice recorder, SMS, MMS). Moreover, such devices give the user an additional experience and encourage him to seek new ways to use his device, including meeting training needs.

Now, let us just take a look at some of the main disadvantages, so that those simple words could show the real danger caused by cell phones. The thing is that human’s brain absorbs a significant portion of the electromagnetic energy emitted by phone in order to connect to the base station of communication. The brain in this case serves as a part of the antenna. Today, people either have not heard about this sort of information before or just do not care about that.
No one can say for sure what happens to people, while they are talking on a cell phone, or what will happen to them in the future. However, today it is clear that people who often use mobile phones are at risk. In addition, worst of all, it concerns children as well. Most parents would not even let their child sit too close to TV. However, they think that the smartphones, which they buy for their children, not just for communication, but on the purpose of utterly unnecessary functions – such as games, are absolutely safe.

A child’s brain is more prone to absorbing electromagnetic energy emitted by the cell phone than an adult’s one. Besides, children usually keep their phone closer to the ears than adults while talking, and many of them press it to the ear because it is soft and allows them to do so. As a result, the child’s brain absorbs more energy emitted by the phone than the adult’s one.

Moreover, the usage of mobile phone also increases the risk of cancer. According to Daily Mail (London), “Scientists have found that people who have regularly used mobiles for over ten years are twice as likely to get a malignant tumor on the side of the brain where they hold the handset” (Wilkes).

In order to use cell and smartphone devices and avoid negative influences at the same time, people should follow some basic rules. People should avoid long conversations and use the landlines for it, and do not carry a cell phone near the most important parts of the body.

4.    Future concerns and issues
Futures concerns and issues consist in the fact that modern smartphones will have a much worse influence on the human’s creativity. Various tests of Torrance show that youth creativity was much higher some decades ago. Its dramatic collapse was observed in 1998. Modern society started the new century with no interest in anything – today teenagers spend hours communicating in social networks. A few years ago, they did it on their computers, but with time cell phones turned into pocket computers, which gave teenagers an opportunity to spend even more time on the Internet.

5.    Conclusion

So, people still do not believe that they should not overuse the mobile phones? Well, it is only the own choice of everyone, no one can force someone to do something. However, there are many harmful effects of mobile phones, but all discussed above are the most important ones. It is only a fact, but people can live without cell phones. They should make such a decision if they want not to have problems with health. Mobile phones must be used wisely and purposefully as prevention is always better than cure.

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