Written on February 10, 2015
Ten years ago, families sat together, telling each other about their day, but now children and adults talk, text, tweet, snap, on their iPhones while they eat their food at all meals of the day. Will this ever stop? When did teenagers and adults stop the world’s tradition of talking to each other face to face? Have cell phones changed mankind forever? Cell phones have affected people’s lives greatly by having quick information to everything at a touch of a screen, and poorly by being a distraction from others.
51% of people living in the United states have a smartphone of some kind to use for just about anything, like to watch the news, celebrity information, and most often used for social media. For example, before I jump out of bed to start my day, I reply to all my good morning text, I check my social media accounts, and plan out my day, all before I’m even out of bed. With smartphones, I am able to do all of these things in less than ten minutes. In addition, people now use apps to learn the latest updates of disastrous weather, world denomination, and even to know what is occurring on the other side of the globe. Fifty years ago, people couldn’t have done this, people once looked at the clouds to know the weather, and read the local newspaper to discover what was happening in Vietnam. Therefore, cell phones now given us the information we need at anytime of the day for all our needs.
Cell phones are great, and have affected our lives dramatically, yet these simple devices can be a large distraction. For example, when my dad is cruising down highway 80 on his way to take me to school, he likes to think that he always needs to check his phone when he hears the “ding” that iPhones make. When he does check his phone, he is risking not only his life, but the people in the car and their lives also. In addition, cell phones are also a distraction from from friends and family. For example, while mom, dad, Alex, and Lexi are bowling, having a great time with each other, Stephenie is over in corner sitting alone with her phone six inches away from her face. They’re having a great time without her, while the most important thing in her life in Twitter and Instagram. Therefore, cell phones are a huge distraction from the people we have in our lives and can sometimes cause a great catastrophe.
In conclusion, since 2002, the elevation of cell phones have been changed dramatically. People still don’t even talk to each other at the table while eating, and nobody knows if that will ever change. People now receive notifications, emails, and much more, yet cell phones are a distraction and may even distant people from others.