At present time the majority of population cannot imagine their life without smart phones. There are no doubts that this gadget has changed our lives. In terms of this paper we will try to analyze these changes and show the ways Smartphone influences our lives.
With the appearance of smart phones a lot of usual things in our daily routine have changed for better. For example, we consume and exchange information in a different, more comfortable way. If previously, in order to receive some information, watch news, read newspapers, check e-mail, a person had to find stationary computer, now it is enough to have a smart phone.
It is possible to say that smart phones allow us to be more mobile, which is especially valued today. In addition to this, smart phones allow us to be closer with our friends, because it offers such opportunities to its users as "calls, text messaging, instant messaging, email, social media, blogs" (Leitner).
Although, all of the mentioned above examples are definitely positive, it can be said that there is another side of the coin as well. For instance, the fact that we can find any information at any time, affects our psychology and quite often our memory becomes worse. People do not want to fill their head with information, which is not necessary for them at the moment.
It can be said that to some extent people become addicted with their smart phones. It is hardly possible to imagine somebody who feels comfortable if he leaves his smart phone at home. We also spent the whole day with this device. We wake up with it and we go to bed with it, we use it during our breaks, mealtimes, on the way to work and home. If we cannot use our smart phones for a certain reason, there is a feeling of inferiority.
When speaking about smart phones, it is rather interesting to have a look at statistics. Ofkom, a telecommunication regulator, organized a poll which showed that"
- "37% adults and 60% teenagers admit to being addicted to smart phones.
- 51% adults and 65% teenagers say they use their smart phones to socialize with others
- 58% males own a smart phone, compared to 42% females" (Arandilla).
As far as with the help of smart phones, people can keep in touch better and communicate more with the help of a variety of social apps, there is an opinion that smart phones create an alternative reality in which its users live. It is an interesting point of view, because indeed people who own smart phones, spend a huge number of time with this devices instead of spending this time with friends or family. And even if we go out with someone or spend time at home with family members, we still often can be seen tweeting or updating statuses on Facebook.
On the one hand, it is great to keep in touch with everybody, to be able to communicate with people all over the world. However, on the other hand, sooner or later everyone realizes that in the majority of cases all social apps are focused on virtual communication with virtual friends. In reality, "It can be lonely at times when we have 500 friends on Facebook; however, when wanting to hang out in person no one is there because we’re not used to talking by voice or in person anymore" (Feiles). That is why psychologies recommend to dose virtual communication in order not to have problems in real life.
Quite often when we speak about smart phones and their contribution to our lives, positives and negatives are usually narrowed down to communication and accessibility of information. However, there are other interesting sides as well. For example, thanks to internet and a variety of applications, smart phones can make our lives easy and interesting. For instance, smart phones can be used to control "smart homes". At present, "home automation technologies like lighting and climate controls have evolved in the last few years to become smarter, and more usable, in part by allowing programming from smart phones and tablets" (Wingfield).
As it can be seen from the analyzed material, smart phones take strong position in everyday life many people. Demand for smart phones grow each day and phone manufactures experience great competition. Each producer tends to introduce something new to their phone in order to be able to offer consumers a unique product. If earlier, smart phones were not that comfortable for surfing internet or reading books, nowadays new technologies allow to make smart phones easier to read. Such software is present in iPhone and some other smart phones, which work on Android. It is suggested that iPhone has one of the best sortware, which includes " controls for both making the screen text larger and magnifying the entire screen" (Biersdorfer).
In conclusion, it should be said, that of course smart phones are very useful and they indeed have changed the quality of our lives. People became more mobile and open to the rest of the world. Smart phones allow us to keep in touch with people all around the world and there is a feeling that the distances disappear.
It is extremely convenient to be able to access internet, take photos, record video, listen to music and read books from one device. There are a lot of interesting social apps, which allow us to find out something new, take a great interest in something, it is a way for self expression.
In addition, there are a lot of apps for self organization, for keeping your home modern in a technological way. Just like with many other things, there is a lot of positive in using smart phones, especially when you use it in a smart way.
Works Cited
Arandilla, R. (n.d.). "How the Smart Phone Invasion Changed the Way We Live." 1stWebdesigner. Web. www.1stwebdesigner.com. 18 Apr., 2013.
Biersdorfer, J. F. (2013). "Q&A: Making Smartphones Easier to Read." The New York Times. Web. gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com. 18 Apr., 2013.
Feiles, Nathan. (n.d.). "Are Smart Phones, Droid and the IPhone Running Our Lives?" PsychCentral. Web. psychcentral.com. 18 Apr., 2013.
Leiner, Lisa (2012). "How Smart Phones Changed the Way We Live." My SMS Blog. Web. www.mysms.com. 18 Apr., 2013.
Wingfield, N. (2013). "Controlling the "Smart Home" with Tablets and Smartphones." The New York Times. Web. www.nytimes.com. 18 Apr., 2013.
