Argumentative Essay - The Pros and Con of Cell Phones [PDF]

Citation preview

March 29, 2020 “Cell Phones: Beneficial or Nah?” When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, he had no idea what would become of his revolutionary invention some 150 years later. For the first time, this enabled persons to audibly communicate with each other without being face-to-face. 1983 would be the year that the first ever mobile phone was invented. The first mobile phone, at a whopping cost of $4000, was reserved strictly as a status symbol for the affluent (History of the Mobile). The mobile phones of today have transformed so much that they are hardly recognizable. The mobile phone has infiltrated its way into the lives of over 5 billion people worldwide, with over half of them being “smart” phones (Silver). Although there are many positive aspects of the smartphone, the negative aspects outweigh the benefits. The cellphone has given people access to unlimited information through the internet. With a click of a button, individuals can find the definition of an unfamiliar word, solve a math equation, or even translate one language to another. It can be argued that all of the information that we will ever need can be found on the internet. Google somehow knows everything! In the past, people had to rely on encyclopedias or other reference books when trying to access information and that information wasn’t updated in real time. The internet allows students to study for standardized tests, research for projects and papers at the click of a button. And all of this in our pockets and purses. Whereas these are all tremendous benefits it is ironic that having knowldge at their fingertips is making humans dumb. The ability to work and solve problems is an essential function that should be exercised on a daily basis. Having strong critical thinking skills are favorable when it comes to being selected for schools and job opportunities. Phones are providing answers that people should be able to figure out on their own, but they opt to take



the easy way out. There are math applications where students can snap a picture of the problem and the answer is provided for them. Students can pay others online to write research papers as well as search for answer keys to assigned work. According to Dr. Arian Ward “the integration of smartphones into daily life appears to have caused a “brain drain” that can lower such vital mental skills such as learning, logical reasoning, abstract thought, problem solving and creativity”(Elmore). Humans are therefore, youth especially, lacking in critical thinking skills because their phone does all of the thinking for them. A study conducted by the University of Texas found that “the mere presence of one’s smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity and impairs cognitive functioning, even though people feel they’re giving their full attention and focus to the task at hand” (“The mere”). One of the conclusions was that people are so dependent on their cell phones that they lack the confidence in their own abilities to do work without them. Students having their cellphones in classrooms has become one of the largest debates in schools all around the world. It can be a good thing! Having online curriculums and classroom apps for students allows them to access school work and textbooks when they are not at school. Being able to directly look up information, listen to music on downtime and type class notes instead of writing them down on pencil and paper can be extremely useful. If there was a way to keep students on task while using the phones, the results could be more favorable. Yet, much of the time students have their phones out in class, they are on social media, texting, or watching Netflix during class which keeps them from performing optimally. There have been several studies to confirm this. One such study was conducted by Miami University of Ohio. An experiment was conducted whereby a group of students were watching a video lecture. The students were divided into three groups. The first group, the control group, was unable to use their phones at all during the video. The second group was able to use their phones to text or



tweet about things pertaining to the video. The third group was able to use their phones in whatever way they wanted during the video. The students in the control group and the 2nd group scored 70% better on the assessment than those in the third group (Kowalski). This proved that the distractions are what causes the problems. Students are easily distracted and phones are one of the leading causes of why students don’t stay engaged in school and subsequently, don’t perform well as they could. Phones are commonly used for social media. Social media has become the single most influential service all around the world. Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, Twitter and Facebook have taken over the world. It allows people to freely express themselves, find inspiration, and make new friends. It is extremely popular amongst celebrities and politicians to spread knowledge of upcoming projects and gain a fan base to support them financially and gain publicity. People make money from companies when they ask individuals to advertise a product or company on their social media. These are called sponsors. While social media is used to create positive vibes, it also creates mental health issues. Social media is directly linked to depression. “Studies have linked the use of social media to depression, anxiety, poorer sleep quality, lower self-esteem, inattention, and hyperactivity — often in teens and adolescents. (Mamosser)” People often find themselves self-comparing to other people they find on social media. “For girls growing up in a generation saturated with social media, getting enough “likes,” comments, and online friends can become an unhealthy obsession”(Kampakis). “How many “likes” can I get on this picture?” “How come others have more followers than me?” “What crazy thing can I do to get noticed?” “How come their life is so perfect?” These are only some of the questions that help to create mental health problems associated with social media usage. They wish to be like that one girl with 790 thousand followers on Instagram. Everyone is looking to make the next viral



video. Social media tricks people into thinking that their worth is measured in the amount of “likes” they get (Kampakis). People feel worthless if they get rude comments or backlash based on their looks, their content, their opinions and other factors. This has become such an issue that Instagram, the most used social media platform, had decided earlier this year to experiment with hiding “likes” from posts in order to curb the high rates of adverse effects. CEO Adam Mosseri explained that “anxiety and social pressures that come from the app are becoming more acute, particularly with young people, particularly in a mobile-first world” (Leventhal). He further intimated that the company was willing to take the risk even if they lose business, if it will ultimately help the emotional well-being of people. Regarding the sleeplessness, author Michelle Crouch termed it “wired and tired.” She stated, “researchers have found a clear link between your sleep and phone habits. Today's teens have more distractions than any previous generation. It takes tremendous self-control to ignore those dinging notifications so you get everything done and get to bed” ( Crouch). Most adolescents already don’t get enough sleep, but add to this the cellphone- it creates a recipe for disaster. Smartphones are here to stay. The mobile phone is undoubtedly the most popular invention in the past two decades. There are many positive aspects to smart phones. Having access to the internet opens up a window to the world. People can connect with loved ones around the world with a click of a button. Educationally, students can collaborate with others in real time on projects; research millions of documents, prepare creative presentations and many other uses. Although the uses and benefits seem to be limitless, there are also adverse effects. Studies have shown that people are actually lonelier because artificial interactions cannot replace human interactions. Additionally, social media has caused increased pressure on individuals to view themselves through a distorted lens. People have become so dependent on the internet, that



intellectual ability has become compromised. It is for these reasons that the negative aspects outweigh the positive.



Works Cited Crouch, Michelle. "Generation Zzzzzzzz: Teens Are Getting Less Sleep than Ever Before, and Experts Are Calling It a National Health Crisis. Read on to Learn the Shocking Consequences--and Real Strategies for Getting the Rest You so Desperately Need." Choices/Current Health, vol. 33, no. 1, 1 Sept. 2017, p. 10+. Gale in Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A502121318/GPS? u=lnoca_chuh&sid=GPS&xid=8a6f53b0. Accessed 13 Mar. 2020. Duke Department of Pediatrics. 6 Feb. 2018, pediatrics.duke.edu/news/teens-and-technologymanaging-cell-phone-and-social-media-usage. Accessed 24 Mar. 2020.



Elmore, Tim. "Do Smart Phones Make Us Smarter." Psychology Today, 9 Nov. 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/artificial-maturity/201711/do-smart-phones-makeus-smarter. Accessed 26 Mar. 2020. "History of the Mobile Phone." tigermobiles.com, www.tigermobiles.com/evolution/. Accessed 24 Mar. 2020. Kampakis, Kari. Liked: Whose Approval Are You Living For? Nashville, Thomas Nelson, 2016. Leventhal, Jamie. "How removing 'likes' from Instagram could affect our mental health." pbs.org, 25 Nov. 2019, www.pbs.org/newshour/science/how-removing-likes-frominstagram-could-affect-our-mental-health. Accessed 26 Mar. 2020. Mammoser, Gigen. "The FOMO Is Real: How Social Media Increases Depression and Loneliness." healthline.com, 9 Dec. 2018, www.healthline.com/health-news/socialmedia-use-increases-depression-and-loneliness#Does-social-media-cause-depression? Accessed 28 Mar. 2020. "The Mere Presence of Your Smartphone Reduces Brain Power." news.utexas.edu, 26 June 2017, news.utexas.edu/2017/06/26/the-mere-presence-of-your-smartphone-reduces-brainpower/. Accessed 28 Mar. 2020. Nationwide Childrens. 2 Oct. 2018, www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resourceseducation/700childrens/2018/10/children-and-cell-phones. Accessed 24 Mar. 2020. Sciencenewsforstudents. 3 Mar. 2016, www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/whensmartphones-go-school. Accessed 29 Mar. 2020. Silver, Laura. "Smartphone Ownership Is Growing Rapidly Around the World, but Not Always Equally." pewresearch.org, 5 Feb. 2019,



www.pewresearch.org/global/2019/02/05/smartphone-ownership-is-growing-rapidlyaround-the-world-but-not-always-equally/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2020.