Smartphones could be regarded as one of the most remarkable inventions of the century which revolutionized people’s lives. In a research conducted by the Pew Research Center, smartphone ownership on a global scale was reported to exhibit an increasing trend since 2013 . In fact, the report disclosed that the country exhibiting the highest rate of smartphone ownership is Korea at 88%, seconded by Australia at 77%, and with the United States ranking third at 72% . The prolific ownership and use of the smartphone could be attributed to the immense benefits allegedly gained by the users. As such, the lives of smartphone users could definitely be observed as significantly affected, both positively and negatively. The current discourse hereby aims to explore the impact of smartphones on people’s lives by itemizing the positive as well as negative impacts associated with smartphone ownership and usage.
Positive Impacts of Smartphones
Smartphones are widely known to be used for the following purposes: communication, entertainment, social networking, research and information, innovative online applications like banking, shopping, and scheduling travel as well as leisure activities. From an evaluation of the uses, it could be deduced that the positive effects of smartphones include increased opportunities for interconnectedness with friends, acquaintances, or colleagues spanning wide expanse geographic locations and time. In addition, users are accorded with greater access to diverse forms of entertainment and leisure options at the least cost. Moreover, through registering in various social networking sites, users avail of chances to post and share information as well as photos for updating of current status and profile. In addition, generating varied sources of information enables users to gain more knowledge, develop skills in navigating or research, as well as improve cognitive skills. The opportunities to increase communication through chat, email, and through social networking sites also assist in improving effectiveness in communication skills, both verbal and written, as well as listening skills. Likewise, the features increasing access to tapping online banking, navigating through search engines, as well as using other applications develop skills in introspection and research. Finally, smartphone use was also observed to improve tourist experience through accessing reliable information which makes travel safe and secure.
Negative Impacts of Smartphones
The negative impacts of smartphones could be noted in broad categories such as in business, education, health, as well as in people’s psychological and social life . In business, for instance, the proliferation of smartphones has reportedly impacted the sale of personal computers (PC). As such, manufacturers which rely solely on PC sales had been observed to experience decline in revenues and profits. Moreover, increased smartphone use in contemporary classroom settings have been found to cause distraction . In addition, smartphones have also been reported to be instrumental in encouraging cyber bullying and even hazing. As mentioned, “smartphones can encourage bullying and hazing also. Bullying and hazing are very serious problems in schools across many countries including United States of America (USA). Smartphones come equipped with camera and video technology, which can be used to record and photograph bullying and hazing in schools and colleges” . The psychological impact of cyberbullying had been reported to be intensely damaging and could even cause injuries and deaths through suicides. In addition, there had been reports of addiction to smartphone which jeopardize normal functioning, academic performance, as well as family and work responsibilities . Furthermore, social impacts were noted to include tendencies for isolation since people get to spend more time getting updates from relatives and friends using smartphones. Finally, as noted, “increased usage of Facebook tends to instill in users the idea that other people are happier and more interesting as individuals, perhaps leading people to feel badly for or about themselves” . This was corroborated by Renzetti who indicated that “Facebook increased feelings of loneliness and isolation” (par. 24).
Concurrently, Sarwar and Soomro also revealed that smartphones enable “students to access irrelevant content while at schools, enable working community to access social Websites and other irrelevant content while at work, and enable youths to access the Internet for inappropriate contents” (223). Further, since more students or employees have been observed to bring smartphones in the academic or work settings, there are increased preponderance for losing them, as well as necessitating increased security protocols which could be more expensive to sustain in the academic or work environment. Finally, without direct supervision, reach, and control of parents, educators, and other authorities (employers, supervisors, or managers), users of smartphones could spend excessive amounts of time for non-official work or academic pursuit that jeopardize long term productivity and performance.
Recommendations
Given the positive and negative impacts of smartphones on people’s lives, there are proposed strategies that are recommended to optimize the benefits and minimize costs of smartphone use. In school settings, for instance, school administrators must design policies that explicitly manage smartphone use through integrative, as opposed to restrictive approach . Educators should acknowledge how smartphones harness gaining of advanced knowledge and the development of academic-related skills through ensuring the application of filtering tools, for instance, which could lock or restrict access to non-academic applications. In addition, instructors could propose course specific regulations that integrate smartphone use with assigned modules given specific time frames or schedules. On the other hand, in the work setting, employers could opt disabling access to non-work-related sites so that focus of employees would remain on the performance of responsibilities. Likewise, in other work settings, especially in business process outsourcing (BPO), employees are requested to turn over personal items, including smartphones, to be secured in specific lockers prior to work. These strategies would ensure that employees would focus on the performance of delegated responsibilities using company telecommunication resources.
Conclusion
In contemporary generation when smartphone ownership and use has been revealed to exhibit increasing patterns of owernship and usage, there had been positive and negative impacts on people’s lives. All facets of life were acknowledged to be affected by the use of smartphones, especially in education, business, health, as well as social and pscyhological aspects of life. With benefits which far outweigh costs associated with the use of smartphones, it is evident that the most viable way to minimize negative impacts would be to manage and control smartphone usage through integrative approach. In everyday life, common experience has recognized the value of balancing effective use of things, including smartphones. Anything excessive has always been found to be detrimental to the individual, either in the short or long run.
Works Cited
Fang, B. "From Distraction to Engagement: Wireless Devices in the Classroom." 22 December 2009. Web. 11 April 2016.
Jones, B. "Like Me on Facebook: Identity Construction in Social Media." Davis, Roger and Laura K. Davis. Essay Writing for Canadian Students with Readings. Toronto, 1981. 390-395. Print.
Poushter, Jacob. "Smartphone Ownership and Internet Usage Continues to Climb in Emerging Economies." 22 February 2016. Web. 11 April 2016.
Renzetti, Elizabeth. "Loneliness: The Trouble with Solitude." Davis, Roger and Laura K. Davis. Essay Writing for Canadian Students with Readings. Toronto, 1981. 320-325. Print.
Sarwar, M. and T. R. Soomro. "Impact of Smartphone’s on Society." European Journal of Scientific Research (2013): 216-226. Print.
