Mobile phones are ubiquitously used in our daily lives, bringing numerous advantages regarding communication and convenience, as well as a multitude of problems due their overuse. This essay will explore the challenges caused by the advent of cellphones and propose solutions to these issues.
The primary dilemma concerning mobile phone usage is directly related to their addictive potential. First and foremost, the chronic use of smart phone for daily activities has caused most individuals to spend unhealthy amounts of time looking directly at screens. Consequently, this behaviour threatens long-term negative health effects for users. For example, research from the United States has demonstrated a strong correlation between depression and the amount of time people spend looking at screens, particularly, at mobile phones. Additionally, mobile phones has posed significant risks to people’s attention in daily activities, imparing their social and communicational skills. A pertinent example can be drawn from a research in Brazil, which discovered that 60% of individuals talk to their peers while looking at their cellphone screens. It is an academic consensus that such behaviour reduces communication between individuals.
Solutions to mitigate these problems are to reduce the amount of time people spend behind screens. First, it is imperative for the population to be educated regarding the dangers of overexposure to mobile phones, and taught to self-police their own time behind screen. As a personal experience, when I noticed that screen exposure was affecting my sleep, medical professionals encouraged me to reduce mobile phone usage, particularly at night. Moreover, aiming to foster interpersonal communication in our modern world, society needs to develop a cultural ettiquete regarding mobile phone usage in social situations. For instance, German people considers unpolite to use mobile phones in restaurants or when talking to other people. This sense naturally stemmed from the discontent of Germans with those who manipulate their cellphones with little regards for their peers.
In conclusion, excessive screen exposure has inflicted adverse health effects to people’s mental health and has impared people’s social abilities in face-to-face encounters. Aiming to alleviate these issues, it is critical that individuals are educated about the dangers of overuse of cellphones. Moveover, a worldwide cultural common sense needs to emmerge regarding which situations should people use cellphones.