Social media allows us to remain in constant contact with our friends and millions of other people worldwide, regardless of our physical location, and this is thanks to the proliferation of smartphones and other electronic devices. All we need is an internet-enabled smartphone.
With the widespread use of smartphones, we now have access to many useful applications that do more than just facilitate communication. Despite the rising expense of app development, the number of apps available in app stores keeps growing. Books, music, films, games, documents, photos, doctor’s advice, and much more are all accessible through our mobile devices. Consequently, people are now devoting a rising amount of time—nearly 50%—to their mobile devices.
But as app developers, we can’t help but wonder: how are smartphones changing our lives and the world around us? Here we examine the pros and cons of regular cell phone usage.
Good Effects
For Communication
Tablets, smartphones, and computers, for all their flaws, have unquestionably improved our quality of life. One of the numerous ways it accomplishes this is by normalizing the use of communication channels. We can easily reach anyone, whether for professional or personal reasons. The development of mobile devices has allowed this to work more effectively.
The advent of mobile devices has made it easier than ever to keep in touch with loved ones far and wide. Participation in social networking would not have increased as much as it has without mobile devices and the technology underpinning them. Disclosing seemingly little details about our whereabouts, activities, and appearance can profoundly affect our relationships with those closest to us.
Disaster victims who would have been shut off from the world before mobile phones now have a way to communicate with the outside world. When disaster hits in their community, they now have a means of calling for assistance from a larger community. They can spread the word of their struggle through text, audio, and—most importantly—images sent from their mobile devices, which can ultimately lead to positive change.
For Information
Information is crucial to us, as we are all well aware. Envision a world where all the information you need is locked away in books and other slow-to-access archives. You now have access to every last bit of information we could require. Every piece of information you’ll ever need is at your fingertips, as long as you have an internet connection. Don’t you think it’s great?
For Entertainment
Mobile technologies profoundly influence today’s entertainment. It has made the lives of people much easier and more comfortable. Many people nowadays are using mobile phones. They use mobile phones for socializing, communication, entertainment, and shopping.
Using a mobile phone has several fascinating advantages. People can use it to watch movies, listen to music, playing on mobile games, and download applications and videos. With it, people can effortlessly chat, send messages instantly, and deliver calls or video calls. Also, people can watch television programs, movies, sports events, and so on.
More Organized
Your day will run smoothly now that you can access all your important files, send and receive voicemails, set alarms, and more from your mobile device. Having our digital assistants (PDAs) close to keep us on track with our daily objectives is essential for maintaining calm and composure.
Smartphones have made it simple to reserve flights, taxis, and hotels, as well as shop for and download just about anything. Companies now provide mobile apps that make it simple to access their products and services and purchase them online. You will be responsible for monitoring the delivery of services and products.
Damaging Effects
Addiction
The dread of being separated from one’s mobile device has a name: nomophobia. Addiction is indicated not only by excessive use of electronic devices but also by the accompanying anxiety if they are absent. Studies have found a correlation between smartphone addiction and mental health problems like depression and anxiety.
Distraction
Another study, from Florida State University, has also found that smartphone notifications can hinder our capacity to focus, reducing our performance by inciting task-irrelevant thoughts and mind-wandering despite their relatively short duration. In certain contexts, such as while driving, even the simplest alert has the potential to result in catastrophic crashes.
Research like this merely scratches the surface of how mobile technology has altered our daily lives. While I acknowledge that there are useful apps out there, I also know that thousands of others will only serve as a distraction, eating up your time and making you less productive.
Lacking Social Skills
In addition to the issues mentioned above, it also has a significant effect on people’s social lives; as a result, people are becoming more isolated and less likely to interact with others in public. This is because so many people are engrossed in their mobile devices, whether to check notifications, send messages, or share a new video. The usage of cell phones has turned us into “smombies,” and we seem to be losing our social skills at an alarming rate.
You probably came across a “smartphone zombie” or “smombie,” as they call it today, even if you weren’t familiar with the term. They’re the people you see on the street or in a public area who move slowly and awkwardly while staring intently at your phone.
Conclusion
Our everyday routines have been drastically altered by the accessibility of mobile gadgets. The world would be very different if not for mobile devices and mobile technologies, which we take for granted.
Online food delivery, e-readers, portable video players, and many other modern conveniences were formerly considered luxuries but are now considered necessities. As a result, how we shop, talk to one another, buy things, and get paid for our labor have been and will continue to be disrupted by mobile technologies.
