Phone Addiction, Why It's Unhealthy

     IBM CREATED THE FIRST SMARTPHONE EVER CALLED THE SIMON PERSONAL COMMUNICATOR IN 1992. SINCE THEN,  MANY NEW SMARTPHONES HAVE BEEN CREATED BY DEVELOPERS LIKE APPLE, SAMSUNG, NOKIA AMONG OTHERS. ACCORDING TO A 2019 STUDY THE AVERAGE SMARTPHONE USER CHECKS THEIR DEVICE 47 TIMES A DAY TOTALING 17,155 TIMES A YEAR. IN ADDITION, 85% OF SMARTPHONE USERS WILL CHECK THEIR DEVICE WHILE TALKING TO FAMILY OR FRIENDS.
     PHONE ADDICTION IS REAL. IN A BROADER PERSPECTIVE ANYTHING CAN BE ADDICTING. I CLAIM THAT ADDICTIONS CAN BE GOOD AND BAD FOR BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. GOOD ADDICTIONS ARE ONES THAT ARE PRODUCTIVE FOR EXAMPLE SOMEONE WHO IS ADDICTED TO WORK. HOWEVER, TOO MUCH OF IT CAN BE EXHAUSTING THUS, BAD FOR YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH. AN EXAMPLE OF A BAD ADDICTION IS CIGARETTES. MANY BELIEVE THAT SMOKING REDUCES MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS BUT THE BENEFITS ARE OUTWEIGHED BY THE BAD PHYSICAL EFFECTS ON THE BODY.
     PHONE ADDICTION IS BAD. YES, PHONES CAN BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL WITH THE INTERNET AT YOUR FINGERTIPS BUT NO ONE SHOULD EVER BE ADDICTED TO A DEVICE OR THE CONTENTS WITHIN IT. AMERICAN EXPERTS LIKE JANE E. BRODY EXPLAIN HOW PHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA DISCONNECT US FROM WHAT REALLY MATTERS. REAL LIFE CONNECTIONS, NOT DIGITAL ONES. AS HUMANS, WE VALUE HUMAN CONNECTION BECAUSE IT’S NURTURING. MORE NEW AND IMPROVED PHONES ARE BEING PRODUCED AND SO IS THE ADDICTION THAT SEPARATES US FROM REAL LIFE CONNECTION.
     BRODY CONTINUES TO SAY “SCREENS ARE STEALING TIME THAT CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS SHOULD BE SPENDING ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND SPORTS, READING, OR CREATING AND ENGAGING DIRECTLY WITH OTHER CHILDREN, ALL OF WHICH ARE CRITICAL TO HEALTHY PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.” FURTHER PROVEN IS THAT THOSE WHO SPEND MORE TIME ON THEIR PHONES HAVE AN INCREASED RISK OF DEPRESSION.
     PERSONALLY, I DON’T TAKE MUCH OF A LIKING TO SOCIAL MEDIA. WITHOUT THE REAL-LIFE INTERACTION, SOCIAL MEDIA ENABLES PEOPLE TO ACT AND/OR SAY THINGS THEY WOULDN’T SAY IN PERSON. FOR EXAMPLE, THE YOUNGER GENERATION IN OUR SOCIETY USE THE WORD “SHADE” TO CLASSIFY THE ACT OF INDIRECTLY CALLING OTHERS OUT. SOCIAL MEDIA IS WHERE IT COMMONLY TAKES PLACE AT AND IT USUALLY, IN MY EXPERIENCE, FORCES YOU TO BECOME UNCERTAIN AND INSECURE ABOUT YOURSELF. IF SOMEONE IS ALWAYS ON THEIR DEVICE THEY CAN EASILY BE EXPOSED TO THIS MENTALITY. OVERALL, SOCIAL MEDIA IS BAD BECAUSE IT SETS UNREALISTIC STANDARDS AND ONLY PORTRAYS THE BEST MOMENTS OF OTHERS PEOPLE'S LIVES RESULTING IN A DECREASE OF SELF-WORTH.