Smartphones: Blessing or Curse? - Essay Sample

Introduction

Many experts claim that smartphones do not make us smarter and in any case dumber. In recent times, technology has become part and parcel of our daily lives more than ever. It is quite cumbersome to find activities that we engage in daily that do not incorporate technology. It has come close to an extension of our brain. Basically, we depend on it more since it makes our lives easier. There are, therefore, various arguments with regards to the positive and negative impacts of smartphones.

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Some may argue about the potential negative impacts of smartphones which may include distraction and poor social interaction, addictive behavior to gaming and social media, privacy interference and threats and availability of uncensored information on the internet available and exposed to children. However, the devices come along with various advantages and positives that outweigh the negative impacts that contribute to its continual adoption over the years. Smartphones come along with advantages in communication, educational benefits, and improvements in healthcare which form vital pillars in the society (Munoz, 2018).

The adoption and use of smartphones have been tremendous in the mainstream consumer market throughout the globe. Surveys indicate that approximately 42% of the mobile subscribers in the US use smartphones as of 2013 along with 44% of other mobile users in five major countries in the European Union (Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and the UK) (Sarwar & Soomro, 2013). The use of media on mobile, which includes browsing the mobile web, accessing and downloading applications and web content saw a great increase that surpassed 50% in various markets. This can be attributed to the high-speed networks and increased use of public WiFi that is available in various areas. We can, therefore, assert that smartphones have impacted almost all walks of human life and drastically changed the cultural behavior and norms of individuals. With the impacts raging on both the positive and negative sides, the prominent areas impacted include business, health, education and social life of people.

Figure showing the total mobile health apps forecast in the U.S. from 2015 to 2025. Statista.com

The graph above shows the total mobile health apps market forecast in the U.S. from 2015 to 2025. Due to the advancement in technology, the potential of health apps is likely to expand more than its current level of applications. The main application of apps is currently limited to fitness tracking and calorie counting. When paired with a smartwatch, the heart rate can be monitored. While we are not yet close to tapping into the potential of smartphone health care, there are already plans for blood pressure monitors that will be developed for the upcoming smartwatches and smartphones. It is inevitable that mobile health apps will continue to grow. The health care benefits with smart devices will be massive and should not be overlooked because of the negative aspects of smartphone addiction.

The graph above was a survey done by Grand View Research as of August 2017. It was released through www.statista.com in August 2018. From the graph, the market size and the use of smartphones are expected to grow through 2025. The market share in 2015 of mobile health apps was 1.112 million dollars (Mikulic, 2018). Four years later, in 2019, the market stands at 5.601 million dollars which represents a 500% growth. The Grand View Research projects that in 2025, the mobile health apps market size will exceed 50 billion U.S. dollars. This will represent a 4000% growth in ten years (Mikulic, 2018). The value was reached while following the current trends in the field of digital technology. The data is vital as it addresses one of the major benefits of smartphones which is its application in healthcare. I believe that smartphones play a vital role in advancing communication, developing education and improving healthcare.

The advent of social media has brought the world closer and closer on a daily basis. The phone, by itself, is a communication device. When the cellphone was first introduced in the 80s, it was very easy to communicate with each other. Prior to the cellphone, was the pay phone which was less versatile and strategically located. The cellphone came in to provide a portable payphone. The device comes along with SMS messaging that makes it easier to communicate with friends and families.

The smartphone technology, however, came up with more modernized communication systems. These include video chats and emails that make it possible for people to instantly communicate with anyone and everyone across the globe. It is also embedded with social media apps that grow day by day and enable us to share our lives with virtually everyone in the world. One can easily live stream a baby shower with a loved one on the other side of the world or even live-tweet the president with just a click of the button. They have made it easier for news to be accessed. We are one alert away from evacuating a family from a natural disaster or receiving a real-time update of our favorite sports teams and programs. The business world is also benefiting heavily from smartphone technology. Businesses are able to obtain consumer information from the apps in real time and use it to customize products that would enhance their growth. This is an advantage that covers a large spectrum of daily life operations and economic growth.

Education forms a vital part of our lives. In the past, it was not available to everyone. While some may argue that it still requires some improvement in the recent world, the introduction of smartphones and advancements in technology have made the availability of technology better. With smartphone technology, one can argue that he/she has a portable lecture in his/her pocket. It can be equated to carrying a complete series of Britannica encyclopedia in the pocket. The use of a smartphone as a learning tool would make it cumbersome for studying to cease.

The internet forms a major part of the life of every student and provides a means to search for information when and where it is needed (Sarwar & Soomro, 2015). The use of mobile phones for purposes of the internet has become a routine practice among consumers. The growing demand for smartphones and the availability of the internet and high-speed mobile browsing capabilities provide a vital alternative channel for delivering educational services. It will also enable users to utilize their smartphones and obtain educational benefits that are within their available time with no regards to their location.

It also provides opportunities for distance learning which enables students to organize their time when they can continue with their education without affecting their work and family life. The smartphone has enabled teachers and students to collaborate. It provides easy, fast and efficient communication between teachers and students. From as early as kindergarten all the way to college, teachers use apps to communicate and relay reminders to students and parents. Students use cloud services such as OneNote and dropbox to check on their assignments and course materials on the go. Classmates can also collaborate with other classmates on groups projects outside class through video conferencing apps.

Technology and health are inseparable since they constantly look for ways to improve the quality of health care provided to patients. Over the years, there have been substantial advancements to incorporate the latest technologies in health care. The introduction and use of smartphones have led to more accessibility to doctors. There is proper standardization of in-hospital communications in numerous hospitals.

Surveys indicate that more than 10 million users in the USA use smartphones to search for health facilities and information (Mearian, 2018). There are also other various mobile applications that enable the users to manage prescriptions and promote alternative treatment options while providing price comparisons and validating prescriptions. With such levels of technology, we expect future applications that will enable doctors and parents to monitor a patient's blood glucose levels at any point in the course of the day.

Currently, there exist several apps that track exercises, diet and blood pressure, thereby indicating the pivotal role of smartphones in the health sector. There are currently more than 40,000 mobile health apps available for smartphones and tablets and more than 500 health projects under construction with more emphasis on the use of smartphone apps in the health sector (Sarwar & Soomro, 2015). There is also a large number of medical and healthcare apps for smartphones which include drug references, reference guides, medical calculators and personal health and lifestyle applications. The apps also enable healthcare workers to access specific information in the fields of neurology, radiology, pediatrics, and neonatology to foster further educations activities.

To date, healthcare is not yet available to everyone in this world. I, therefore, believe that smartphone technology and mobile health apps will make healthcare affordable without sacrificing the quality of care. With a large part of the society's health issues occurring in rural and remote areas of the world where the affected lack accessibility and money to be treated, mobile health provides solutions that would expeditiously provide treatment and information to those living in those areas of the world (Mearian, 2018).

Despite these benefits of smartphones, many point towards the negative impacts it has on the users. The biggest concern in recent times includes social interaction. Analytics firm Flurry reported an increase in the use of apps to 69% in 2017 which degrades the "real" social interaction. As a result, people no longer interact with others outside since most of the time is spent on their smartphones. While outside, still minimum traditional interactions take place. It also contributes to a social health problem that can result in real health issues that include sleep deprivation due to consistent exposure to radiofrequency energy (Nath & Mukherjee, 2015). Smartphone addiction also results from consistent use of smartphones.

Cyberbullying is also another predicament of recent times. The introduction of smartphones came along with being consistently connected to the internet anytime and anywhere, increasing the severity of the vice. With limited to no control towards the content available online, students and the youth tend to access inappropriate content. Smartphones and social networking sites are also becoming the next stop for criminal attacks who collect vital information from the user's online databases among other procedures (Nath & Mukherjee, 2015). Criminal activities may also involve physically stealing of taking the smartphone using force and resulting in brutalities and even death of the user as in the case of expensive smartphones.

The above counter-arguments are not only realistic but also possible, with some taking place often. However, while comparing with the benefits that come along with smartphones, the issues addressed by the counter-arguments have a lesser impact comparatively. Moreover, some solutions and technological advancements are being implemented to help reduce the negative effects of smartphones. In the case of social interaction, smartphones play an important role in the process of integration of people with special needs and the elderly thereby providing them with an opportunity to live more independently (Munoz, 2018).

The phones also have special features such as GPS, text to speech and social websites that enhance interaction with the society (Sarwar & Soomro, 2015). The t...