Effects of Using Smartphones Essay Example

“It is okay to own technology, but what is not okay is to be owned by technology.” This was said by Abhijit Naskar. Meaning that it exploits the dangers of excessive smartphone usage in today’s society. In daily life, smartphones have many effects on us without us knowing. But in society, smartphones affect humans mentally and physically, through our everyday life. Recent research suggests that smartphone usage does indeed affect the brain, although the long-term effects remain to be seen. Mobile technology has drastically changed cultural norms and individual behaviors. While there are many beneficial effects to the invention of smartphones, there are far more negative ones, such as peer pressure, cybercrime, social media addiction, mental health, and brain laziness. 

The first effect of smartphones is peer pressure. When it comes to peer pressure it’s common within the use of smartphones. To start with, the definition of peer pressure is people who feel the desire to fit in with those around them may give in to peer pressure. For example, wanting to get an expensive phone, but you already have one that works. But just buys the expensive phone anyway because you want to fit in my cause peer pressure. Furthermore, trying to get the latest phone, but you have an old version that is still good enough, but still tries to buy it anyway. Because it looks better and people say it has good technology. May also cause peer pressure to happen. Finally, you’re online and looking for items and you came across two things you would like. But you don’t’ know which one to get but others say get this instated. Then that may cause you to decide on the two items, and that will also lead to peer pressure.

The second effect of smartphones is cybercrime. When it comes to being online a lot of stuff can happen over the internet. For example, being online and posting things, for others to see may lead to others making fun of you, and that can lead to a bigger situation. Where you can get cyberbullied. Also posting everything you do online would become a bad problem too because everyone would know your every move and that would lead to you being stalked by strangers. In addition, posting your location or sharing your address might lead to you being followed or might lead to more kidnappings arcing. Last, an example that affects smartphones is leaking your information/identity online which would lead to you getting scammed or getting your information stolen by hackers.   

The third effect of smartphones is Social Media Addiction. When it comes to having an addiction it is a common thing that happens within the youth society. For instance, when people get so addicted to social media they feel the desire to give their friends personal information about them through text messages. Also when they have an addiction they might see bad things posted on social media that may change their feeling and make them upset. Furthermore, having a social media addiction may cause your body to function differently. According to “Social Media and Mental Health” it states that “Using social media more often, though, increases FOMO and feelings of inadequacy, dissatisfaction, and isolation and have headaches and weaker vision. Also, being on social media too much may affect you in a way where you can get psychological problems like anxiety disorders, including panic disorders. 

An additional effect of using a smartphone is it can cause mental illness with the use for an extended period. Depression is a factor of this and is a mental illness that many younger generations suffer from. Oftentimes, when one is depressed it comes from being saddened or not feeling enough self-worth. For example, someone who is scrolling through Instagram and sees an influencer they like, most times they become affected by body image which will have one self-doubt themselves that they aren’t pretty or good looking enough to post. Also in “Gearbest Blog” states that “though it is small, it is still harmful. The long time will cause the body immunity decline, easy fatigue, nausea, and other adverse reactions. Prolonged exposure to a cell phone can also affect your eyesight. When you go to bed at night, you are advised to pay less on your cell phone.” It can even cause anxiety to occur where you feel worried or panic. 

The last and final effect of using a smartphone is it can cause you to have brain laziness. On “healthtalk.org” it states that “Smartphones Can Make Your Brain “Lazy”. With smartphones, you no longer need to memorize a phone number or find your way around town using a map—your smartphone does these things for you. It also states that “U.S. teenagers who spend 3 hours a day or more on electronic devices are 35 percent more likely, and those who spend 5 hours or more are 71 percent more likely, to have a risk factor for suicide than those who spend less than 1 hour.” Research shows this overreliance on your smartphone can lead to mental laziness.” They become too dependent on that external aid. They lose that skill of being able to remember things as freshly as they could, absent that external aid.

To sum up this essay, smartphones can have a variety of effects on the human body or life in general. While they can be a variety of positive effects towards the creation of smartphones, there are many more contrary ones. I know smartphones can be fun and hard to get away from but the less time you spend on them and how wise you use them may benefit you through life, it can cause healthier lifestyles. That's what everyone wants.