Social Media Destroys Communication

Smart phones have become such an important part in our lives that we lose focus with or without them. When they’re in the palms of our hands we can’t seem to stop using it; when we don’t have

Ever since technology began so prominent in the modern world, can anyone remember going outside for more than 30 minutes and not see a cell phone or computer? Probably not, as these pieces of technology have become so ingrained in people’s lives, no one wants to leave their home without still being connected. And there is no reason to, as friends, family, and strangers share the same sentiments. Unplugging from technology is not only a decision people don’t make for personal reasons, it simply isn’t conducive to a productive life, as many people’s work and social lives wouldn’t be the same, if exist at all, without being connected to other people or the internet with just a single touch.

“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.

In 2015, it is estimated that nearly two-thirds of Americans own cell phones and in 2016, 78% of Americans have some form of social media. To add to these crazy statistics, Americans spend a staggering 4.7 hours a day on their phones and check their social media sites 17 times a day. What does all this mean you may ask? This means that on average Americans spend more time a day staring at their cellphone screen, than they do interacting with friends or other humans. Think about it, how many times a day do you see someone walking and staring at their phone? Or how many times have you been somewhere eating, drinking,

The ability to communicate and be entertained twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week undoubtedly causes us to be dependent on our smartphones and

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 advancement of cell phone technology in the last decade is truly astounding because a decade ago most people’s cell phones had such limited capabilities. Cell phones, or smart phones as they are also known today, have so many advanced abilities it’s like having a pocket sized computer in your grasp. We can task our phones with every communication possibility there is for business and personal uses. People are able to keep in touch with anyone through a variety of social means, or even stream their favorite television shows straight to their phone. Individuals can use a barrage of phone applications for more productive purposes such as daily planners to keep up with appointments, making shopping lists, or retrieving information from the Internet. However, the overuse of cell phones can cause distractions. The distractions that cell phones produce comes with a heavy price that can cause thousands in revenue being lost yearly for businesses (Hildebrand, 2011), and increases the number of vehicular accidents per year (Pre14).

Klauer et al. (2014) found a positive correlation between the use of cellular phones (hands free or handheld) and the rate of traffic accidents and distraction. These mobile phones, which are now capable of not only answering calls, but are also capable of playing games, text messaging, browsing the internet, etc. are now attainable for a vast number of individuals. According to the Cellular Telephone Industries Association (CTIA; 2015), there were over 377 million U.S. mobile phone subscriptions by the end of 2015. With the increased availability and technological abilities of mobile phones, has come the ability of individuals to stay connected to their device and social networks throughout the entirety of the day.

Dear mom and dad, I know you don’t believe I have a need for a smartphone, but lately it has become more apparent that I do. With the increased use of technology in everyday life as well as in school, I am being left behind and it’s putting me at a major advantage when compared to my peers. Please put yourself in my shoes and realize that with the world depending more and more on phones, my immediate future may be compromised if I don’t have a cellphone. Aaron Smith says “. . . nearly two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone…” (Smith 1). This just shows how today, smartphones are basic and widespread in our society.

Do you say, “I’m going to use my smart device to look up something” and then you find yourself on the device for over three hours? How does (social) media and technology influence us? Technology dominates people’s lives. Sometimes we get too caught up in our devices and don’t pay attention to people around us. “Studies indicate some mobile device owners check their devices every 6.5 minutes” (Becker 2). We need to take a break from our phones, computers, and all smart devices. Take a few hours one day a week or even a full day to disconnect from your device. Don’t connect to those around the world (who you don’t really know), connect to the people right next to you (your family, neighbor,

Are we devoted to our alerts on our phone, yearning for an Instagram like, and completely obsessed with social media trends? We often don’t realize how many times a day we check our phone for any one of these things. Have we gotten so attached to our phones that they have become a part of us? I cant count how many times I have seen a bathroom selfie and a post of someone laying on their bed wishing others a goodnight. The rules of proper phone etiquette have shifted through out the years what was once considered rude and inconsiderate have now become social norms. According to a Mobile mindset study conducted by Security app lookout, 73 percent of people admit they would feel “panicked” while 14 percent would feel “desperate” if they were to lose their phones. What would happen if we chose to go without our phones, could we do it?

nce upon a time (in 1983, to be precise), we were introduced to mobile phones: a way of making phone calls on a wireless device. This first “brick” may have been hefty and clunky (NBC News, 2005) but it laid the foundations for a dramatic change in technology. Ten years later, 1993 presented us with the concept of texting. Then, in 2002, came the invention of the smart phone. Over the past three decades, phones have revolutionised our lives (Boy Genius Report, 2013). And more recently, they have transformed the way we seek and digest news. As a teenager of the twenty-first century, my mobile has become a vital organ of my body; it’s never out of reach and I need it to survive (or so I’m convinced). And I too am part of the large scale of

Cell phones today, having once been simple mobile phones that we can carry in our pockets, have long since evolved into full-fledged touch screen computers that we take with us everywhere. But the modern smart phones of today share one define characteristic with their ancestors, and that is that they are portable. This singular characteristic is in large part why cell phones have become so prevalent in today’s society. Whereas once upon a time not all that long ago people could only be reached at home or at work. Whereas now we willingly tether ourselves to our mobile devices and in exchange, we can be reached anywhere. However, as I said before the mobile phones of today are much more than simple phones. They have evolved into full-fledged computer that allow us to access the internet and everything on it from anywhere, and in doing so have largely displaced the home computer. But in doing so has come with a price. Our

Consequently, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and abandoned my smart phone for a period of a week. Instead of using a smart phone, I traded with my mother for her basic flip phone. Initially, the proposition of living without a smart phone seemed impossible and presented significant difficulty. Through my years of using a cell phone, I unconsciously developed an immediate response of reaching within my pockets during boring moments or awkward situations. However, without the available of a smart phone I was required to encounter these moments in a productive and positive manner. For instance, I often found myself paying better attention in class, having meaningful discussions, and sleeping earlier

Life is getting more and more complex as technology progresses and most people are likely to agree. However, what if the truth was that it is actually getting simpler as people replace ideas they previously thought to be indispensable with technologic devices that assist them in going through the day without having to focus on particular matters. The smartphone has become one of the most important devices in recent years, taking into account that it is the last device that many people use before going to sleep and that it is also the first devices that people use when they wake up.