Smart Phones are Crippling us

      Smart Phones

Smart phones have been a depending factor in the recent generations since birth. As you walk down the street, you will see middle school children as well as younger children with smart phones. We laugh and think, “What could they possibly need a smart phone for?” When a child is bored instead of playing outside or spending time with other children they pull out their phone and play a game. These children’s first communication skills are developed through a screen. Kids do not pay attention in school or try to obtain the most information because they have everything they need at their fingertips. Instead of learning how to spell they use spell-check. Instead of learning how to do quick math in their head they use a calculator app. When children are of age to legally drive, we have to learn names of streets as well as their location. Many never take the time to learn those because they rely on a mapping app on their phone. They are being fined for being on their phone and driving even causing accidents. They are unable to focus on driving because they are lured by the sound of a new notification or message just like the lure of the sirens call.

 Instead of enjoying moments with family and friends, smart phones are making us glued to a screen seeing what is new on social media. We are unable to go out with friends without telling the world first. We use smart phones for our finances and to unlock our cars, they even can control the lights in your house. With these phones we hold our entire lives. When we fall, instead of thinking of the persons well being we ask about their phone. We value our phones more than anything else. People go straight to the store and buy a new once theirs break, because we do not know how to live without it.  We are a generation, who instead of seeing people on their birthday we can simply just call them. Instead of going on dates and enjoying conversation, we text each other. Instead of telling people in that moment how much they mean to us, we post on social media. With the device made to connect the world, we have actually managed to disconnect. We find it normal to speak to a complete stranger from across the country, but weird to talk to our own neighbors. We are reaching for people so far away we isolate ourselves from the people around us.

Many people use smart phones to hide behind. Instead of having to face someone with bad news or the truth we can just send it in a message and avoid the personal pain or discomfort. By doing so we leave the recipient alone to face the news alone. We do not learn how to break bad news in person, face bad news, or keep a straight face when hearing bad news. We use smart phones as our backbones to lean against. When someone cannot face the person they do not care for they can just send some hurtful words and never face the pain in the person’s eyes when read or heard. Information is shared so quickly that we do not get to bask in the actual feeling behind it whether good or bad. When telling someone good news you are not there to see the light in their eyes as they understand the words they are reading. You are not there to see their entire face widen with a smile that is uncontrollable and contagious, but only if seen. The closest we get to it is a still moment frozen in a picture or a video that is unable to capture the warmth in the air. In thirty years instead of pulling out birthday cards and letters from our loved ones our emails and text messages will be long gone and forgotten. There is no time cherished with smart phones, time files by and the only way we realize it, is when our phones tell us it has no more memory and we go back through to make more room. We decide which of the countless photos we took instead of enjoying the moment are going to be deleted for more space. We will look back on our memories and only remember it through the eyes of a screen.

Though we have misused this invention the smart phone is not all bad. There are also positives to smart phones such as connecting with family and friends from far away. Also in a quick situation you have knowledge in your hand for you to reach at any moment. These phones help us with our everyday lives and help make them easier. These phones are a positive inventions but only if used in proportion. If overused we become too reliable on the object, which has happened in these recent years. A child is too busy playing with online friends to make real ones, too busy checking a social media account made for older users to enjoy their youth. Being constantly connected to everyone causes people to not cherish moments with those they love. To talk to someone is as easy as pressing a button so we never give it much thought. We take advantage of how easy it is to say anything to anyone at any moment to where we do not think before speaking. We do not realize how every word we say or type has an impact because we are not there to see the delayed effects.

Even if after posting something or sending a text we change our opinion our words last forever. Smart phones are crippling people, whether young or old. Adults are being drawn into smart phones just as much as kids. The generation who did not even own microwaves as children have all the information in the world in their hands. They are overwhelmed with possibilities and endless entertainment. The smart phone is full of just that, possibilities and endless entertainment. These possibilities are not portioned and the endless entertainment pulls our attention from what is going on around us. If the people can learn how to not overuse the smart phone then the invention will serve its purpose without causing harm. People are not know for setting appropriate boundaries though, without first breaking those boundaries and suffered the price.