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Manfred Herrera
Professor Emily Havey
English 114A
4 April 2014
Smartphones
Communication is the key to having any kind of relationship with people. Without it
there is no way of talking or understanding someone. With this technologically advanced era that
the human race has entered, communication has begun to be a problem that not many people are
aware of and are not taking seriously. While some may say smart phones improve
communication, smart phones dehumanize us and put us at the risk of danger by taking away our
social skills, lack/lose respect for one another, making us lazy, and side tracking us from more
important activities.
Smart phones have helped and improved many peoples lives. They make communication
fast and simple with just the click of a button or screen. Texts messages take a couple of seconds
to send, receive, and even reply depending on the person whom one is speaking to. Compared to
the past where it could take several months to receive a message and send one back someone can
have a quick back and forth conversation without wasting minutes. Texting has become very
popular over the past few years as, In a new survey by the Pew Internet Research Center, U.S.
teenagers are talking on landlines and cell phone less, using more smartphones, and are
averaging 60 texts a day (Kerr, 1). This makes communication easy for people instead of having
to pick up the phone and dial a number.
Social media networks are also available on smartphones that make communication and
meeting people easier. Many people now-a-days use social networks to not only communicate
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with others but, use it as a way to meet new people. With social networks such as Facebook,
Twitter, and Instagram trending it is simple to talk to new people. This offers an advantage for
those who may not be so good at starting conversations in person and could break the ice through
a message. People in this era even find the person whom they wish to spend the rest of their lives
with on dating sites such as, eharmony.com and christianmingle.com. All these websites help
people find their match by pairing them up with their similar traits and habits. It is no surprise for
couples to say they found each other through a dating site as Hayley Tsukayama states, More
than one third of U.S. marriages begin with online dating (1). In a sense the human race has
forgotten how to meet people the old-fashioned way which is saying, Hello. And
introducing themselves. With technology becoming more advanced, it will be no surprise that
more people are finding relationships because of it. People meeting in person and dating might
even become strange or rare.
Diner is a time for family and conversing about how each others days went; this does not
seem to be the case anymore. When at the table, we can see people texting their thumbs away at
a message that is most likely not even important. Sometimes we even become the victims of this
texting habit. This is becoming more and more common each passing day and it is not a positive
thing. Communication is now a factor that is lacking at the table. When parents ask their children
how their day went, children do not respond because their faces are stuck on their phones
responding to a text, checking an email, or scanning through a social network. Being able to
communicate is an essential part of being human and some are beginning to lose this ability
because of technology. Humans have become more inattentive to actual conversations and do not
seem to care for them unless they are reading it through a screen. They cannot express
themselves in person but rather in text or on social media networks. They will pour their hearts
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out through a screen but not in person, which is making them lack social skills. People have
accustomed themselves to scan their smartphones for no reason. People pick up their phones and
check them constantly even when they do not ring.
Teenagers are the ones that are most affected by smartphones. Trevor Mogg explains
that, New research from Nielson shows that 58 percent of 13-17 years olds living in the US now
own a smartphone. This is more than half the population of teenagers owning a device that they
will most likely not keep their hands off. Smart phones are addicting as we can spend hours on
them playing apps, watching videos, and/or taking selfies. According to Belfast Telegraph,
60% of our 13 to 19-year-olds admit to being highly addicted to their iPhones or
Blackberrys. This proves the fact that even the teenagers know they are addicted to this piece of
technology. They use them in excess and have no restrictions as to where they use them. They
use them at the table, in bed, and even when they are in the restroom.
Communication is not the only thing that has been lost because of smartphones but more
importantly respect. People cannot have decent conversations without checking their phones or
reaching into their pockets to feel them. It is extremely rude to be on the phone when someone is
gibing you his or her full attention is not only disrespectful but also extremely rude. Everyone
has done this regardless if they say so or not because its normal to answer a text or check emails
while talking to someone, but the reality is that it is extremely rude to do so. Talking to someone
also means listening to what they have to say and giving them the full attention they deserve.
People seem to not look at others in the eye anymore. This is a sign that respect is going down
the drain. Humans need to focus on reality and not let the cyber world get in front of their
priorities.
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Pieces of technology interfere with ones plans much more than they should. Were you
planning on running this morning, but wasted too much time reading Twitter messages on your
iPhone? (Monte Morin, 1) This is a question one should ask them selves more often. Monte
Morin has a good point asking this question. The smart phone technology has slowly but surely
began to make us lazy. Instead of going out for a run or hanging out with friends we would all
rather sit at home and text or tweet. People were more active back then. Kids would kill to play
outside and have longer recess. Now kids are concentrated on getting their hands on pieces of
technology than spending some time outside. I myself have witnessed many children of different
ages own a smartphone. Children in elementary have very advanced smartphones but my
question is, Why do they need them? At that age a set of toys should be sufficient to keep you
occupied and happy; they do not need technology but instead need to go outside and play.
According to Asian News International, The poll of just over 1,000 children aged eight to 15,
conducted by YouGov for Carphone Warehouse, and revealed that almost half of them owned a
smartphone like iPhone. (1) This proves that children have the piece of technology at hand and
can use them for things that are not necessary at such a young age.
As humans everyone wants the latest and greatest. Smartphone users are constantly
changing phones to the most advanced/popular versions, which have more apps to keep them
busy. The iPhone has become the most popular smartphone and is consuming peoples time;
"Now that I have switched to the iPhone, I would say it definitely decreases my physical activity,
because before I just had a Blackberry," (Monte Morin, 1) IPhones are the most popular phones
on the market at this moment. Almost everyone has an iPhone. Hayley Tsukayama states that,
Apple, meanwhile, has sold a total of 85 million iPhones in the U.S. since 2007 launch and 34
million iPads since 2010. (1) These phones can be described as hand-held computers. There is
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very little you cannot do with these pieces of technology. These phones are filled with cool
gadgets and apps but this has caused the human race to become extremely lazy, as well as
dependent on their phones. I have witnessed students use their calculators on their smartphones
to figure out simple math problems. These problems can easily be solved without them but since
they know that they can get the answer in a simple manner they take the easy route. The human
race is becoming lazier with every passing moment. People would rather use their piece of
technology to get things done for them than actually move and do it them selves. Now there is
even an app that helps you get certain jobs done: The mobile application, called Sorted, allows
busy folk to outsource their odd jobs, like cleaning a flat or washing a car, running errands or
helping with the gardening - all at the touch of a button. (Keogh, 1) This is honestly very sad.
These are simple chores/activities that one can definitely do without excuses. No one needs help
from another person to perform these very simple tasks.
Smart phones distract a person as soon as we hit the button to activate them. Boom! With
one click of a button we stop caring about what we are doing because we have entered the cyber
world. In this cyber world we forget about what is going on in the real world. We let our piece of
technology sidetrack us from more important activities. Some of these activities include doing
our daily routines, eating, doing physical activity and probably the most important of them all,
driving. When driving you need to have full attention on the road and surroundings. Constantly
we see people texting away on their phones while driving. The people doing this are a hazard not
only to everyone around them but also to them selves. Focusdriven.org states that, On average,
texting causes drivers to look away from the road for 4.6 seconds. An accident can happen in a
second. Now imagine what can happen if you are not looking at the road for almost 5 seconds.
Drivers who type or read text messages contribute to at least 100,000 crashes each year, leading
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to thousands of preventable deaths. (Focusdriven.org, 1) Texting and driving is very dangerous
and should be taken serious. No text is worth your or someone elses life so think twice before
doing it.
Technology especially smartphones can make lives easier but definitely have more
negatives than positives. Not only does it distract one from his/her priorities but makes them lazy
and dehumanizes them by removing their social skills. The technology that humans are building
to make their lives easier will soon be what ends up destroying them.
















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Works Cited
Morin, Monte. "Is Your Smartphone Making You Fat and Lazy?" Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles
Times, 11 July 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
"Nielsen: More than 50 Percent of Teens Now Own a Smartphone, Fastest-growing Sector." Digital
Trends. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
"One-third of Married Couples in U.S. Meet Online: Study." NY Daily News. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr.
2014.
"Teens Prefer Texting over Phone Calls, E-mail - CNET." CNET. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Tsukayama, Hayley. "How Many IPhones Has Apple Sold?" Washington Post. The Washington Post,
10 Aug. 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.










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