Smartphones. Let’s face it, most of us have one. And most adults agree that they’d rather have their kids’ faces glued in a book than to a cell phone. But I want to cut us kids some slack, so in this article I will be covering the good, the bad, and the unexpected before anyone can jump to conclusions.
The Good
Let’s start with the basics, smartphones help thousands of people around the world to communicate and share information. When was the last time you wanted to try out a new recipe? How about finding the answer to an INCREDIBLY specific question? Well you might not even notice yourself reaching for your device to find the answer. Smartphones also help people communicate with each other. Think of how hard it would be for you to chat with a friend, when you couldn’t even know where they are! Now that we covered the good, let’s uncover the bad.
The Bad
Although smartphones brought about the end of many hardships, they were the start of some too. The more you use your phone, the less exercise and worse posture you get. This is true for adults as well as kids. Smartphone use can also be detrimental to mental health. Numerous studies show that media activity can lower multiple aspects of youth behavior. Media activity can result in lower curiosity, difficulty making friends, decreasing attention spans, and much more. Not to mention, cyberbullying can lower people’s self-esteem and make them anxious, depressed, and can hold other unfortunate consequences.
The Unexpected
Some of you may find the downsides to smartphones shocking, and you may even want to stop using your smartphone at all! However, many people unfortunately already know these effects, but still spend hours upon hours on their screen, not caring what it does to them. So let’s continue to the unexpected. Did you know that according to the surgeon general, almost everyone that uses a smartphone is part of an “experiment”? That’s right! According to many scientists, there is no hard evidence that social media is sufficiently safe for teens, or anyone with a device at that. People are still trying to figure out if smartphones and social media are safe.
You might still be okay with smartphones after this, and that’s perfectly fine! I’m not seeking to change your opinions, just stating facts. But you might want to be careful next time you find yourself scrolling for hours.