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David Brunk

Professor Malcolm Campbell

English 1103

4/2/2015

Disconnected: Have Cell Phones Hindered Modern Day Society?

If you were born before the invention of the cell phone, you probably remember what

society was like before communication was immediate. If you wanted to talk to someone, you

would have to mail a letter or even go see them in person. You wouldnt have constant access

to someones whereabouts; what they are doing, who they are with, and even what they are

eating. The cell phone has revolutionized our way of life. We can now know all of this

information in an instant. All of this technology seems to be a fantastic improvement on the

surface, but a more profound analysis might raise up issues that have been overlooked through

this rapid technological growth. Does our ability to communicate instantly through cell phones

diminish the quality and value of face-to-face interaction? What are some of the positive and

negative effects of cell phones on society? Are there potential health risks from cell phones?

These questions have yet to be answered as we are moving forward with technology but

forgetting to observe the possibly detrimental effects of our progress.

As humans, one of the things we desire most is that deep connection with other people.

Whether it is with a family member, a significant other, a friend, or even co-workers, it is

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something that we need. In modern day society, cell phones seem to have taken away from our

face-to-face interaction. If you need to get in touch with someone, you can simply send a text

and contact them instantly. But is this really the same as talking to them in person? You cannot

hear their tone of voice or see their body language through a text message. In other words,

some of the emotional aspect of human interaction has been stripped away. On the flip side,

using a cell phone while you are with other people rather than by yourself can put a damper on

those relationships. According to CNN, researchers from the University of Essex found that

people who engaged in personal discussions when a cell phone was nearby- even if neither was

actually using it- reported lower relationship quality and less trust for their partner. (Kerner,

CNN.com) Trust has become a big issue with cell phones. The cell phone enables one to

reconnect with people from the past, whether it is an old friend from high school or a distant

relative. But this easy access poses a threat to relationships because of the ability to reconnect

with a past romantic partner. According to a study by Huffington Post, 25% of people confessed

to using their cell phone to discreetly flirt with another individual who was not their partner.

(Gray, HuffingtonPost.com) So what does this mean? Does this mean that everyone who

purchases a cell phone for themselves is going to be incapable of communicating effectively

with another person face-to-face? Certainly not. It is, however, something important to think

about if a cell phone becomes a replacement for social interaction rather than an

enhancement.

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Cell phone use has not only posed a social issue in society, but also a safety issue. The

temptation to pull often causes people to send text messages when walking across the street or

even driving. Distracted driving has become a large issue ever since the invention of the cell

phone. Every day in the United States, 9 people are killed and more than 1153 people are

injured in a car crash that reported having involved a distracted driver. (Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention) State and federal laws have been drawn up in response to these high

rates of distracted driving accidents. Currently, 45 out of the 50 states have laws that ban

texting while driving. (Governors Highway Safety Association)

On the other hand, there is an abundance of benefits that have stemmed from the

invention of the cell phone. Global communication has gone from a distant possibility of the

future to reality in a shockingly short amount of time. This means that communication between

nations can be instant, speeding up diplomatic decisions. News of what is happening on

another continent can become common knowledge to the everyday citizen of a completely

different country. There are also numerous benefits to the individual. People who have speech

issues can use voice control on their cell phone to communicate efficiently. Businesses can

increase productivity with the ability to intercommunicate with its employees faster. Since

texting and driving has become a controversial topic in America, cell phone companies have

implemented hands free options onto cell phones, enabling one to send a text or play music

while still focusing on the road. There are endless ways that cell phones have positively affected

our society.

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Some people have been concerned about possible health risks of using a cell phone.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cell phones do emit

radiofrequency radiation to send signals. This type of radiation is different than X-rays, which

have been confirmed to be harmful to humans. But there is no scientific evidence available that

suggests that cell phones cause cancer. Studies are currently being conducted to determine

whether or not there are health risks from using a cell phone. If there are health risks, however,

they are assumed to be minimal. Certainly the benefits of having a cell phone outweigh these

miniscule risks. If you find yourself in an emergency situation, you will be glad that you took the

possible risk and had a cell phone available to call for help.

So why are cell phones so addicting? Why do we feel the need to pull the device out of

our pocket every time there is dead air in the room? Is our digital profile more important than

our actual physical reality? If you look around on a college campus you will find that the

majority of students walking by you are looking down, scrolling through on their phones. A

recent study published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions found that female college

students spend an average of ten hours a day on their cell phones while male college students

spend an average of eight hours. (Almendrala, Huffingtonpost.com) This study reveals

something about our nature. Some people attribute their cell phone addiction to the ability to

make your image better than it actually is. People use their cell phones to escape the physical

reality, which is very demanding. People also dont like to feel disconnected from the world. If a

person isnt receiving the latest updates from their favorite celebrities or sports team, they feel

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uninformed. Some researchers suggest that this desire to feel connected to other people

constantly is simply human nature, while others say that it is an addiction. In a 2013 blog post

for Psychology Today, psychology professor Ira Hyman, Ph.D., writes that researchers may just

be observing the rise of a new norm in social interaction: immediate, hyper-connected, and

here to stay. (Almendrala, Huffingtonpost.com) In other words, being constantly updated and

talking to your friends via text messages throughout the day may just be our new way of life. Is

this a good thing or a bad thing? Certainly staying in touch with loved ones and relatives and

friends who live farther away seems like a good idea. Being able to see breaking news about

what is happening near you and getting weather updates instantly can save you a lot of time.

With all of this information readily available, your time can be spent doing more important

things like getting some work done or spending time with friends and family. But constantly

checking your phone can become and addictive behavior. It can put a strain on your

relationships and even cause you to miss important things in a class lecture. I know this from

experience.

To conclude, as we are ever progressing as a race; continuing to develop newer

technologies, there is sometimes a disconnection between the rate at which we are progressing

and the rate that we analyze how this progression affects our society. When cell phones were

invented, it set wheels into motion for an exponential growth in the next few years. We were

able to develop futuristic technology that we never thought possible. The cell phone can

decrease the quality of our interpersonal relationships and sometimes even ruin them. There

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are endless positive effects that they have had on our society including: improvement on

communication, helping everyday life, and helping us stay in touch with people. There are also

some negative effects. They have become a safety issue. People become distracted and cause

accidents on the road. I think that when observing these effects, the positive effects certainly

outweigh the bad and the invention and implementation of cell phones into society is a step

forward.

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Works Cited

Almendrala, Emma. Our Creepy Attachment to Cell Phones Could be an Addiction.

Huffingtonpost.com. Web. 1 April, 2015.

Distracted Driving. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 29 March, 2015

Distracted Driving Laws. Governors Highway Safety Association. Web. 1 April, 2015

Frequently Asked Questions About Cell Phones and Your Health. Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention. Web. 28 March, 2015.

Gray, Emma. Relationships and Technology: Is Texting Ruining Romance?

Huffingtonpost.com. Web. 27 March, 2015.

Kerner, Ian. Your Smartphone May be Powering Down Your Relationship. CNN.com. Web. 29

March, 2015