Jaskelevicius 1

Mindaugas Jaskelevicius

Professor McGriff

English 1102

6 August 2018

Smartphones

First cell phones had few simple functions: texting, calling, notes. Later, when

technology was progressing, more companies started to produce them. New smartphones were

better, with more functions such as: the internet, GPS system, improved quality of phones in

general. Smartphones were getting popular very quickly. According to article “Smartphones”,

“Approximately two and half billion people around the globe now use smartphones in nearly

every aspect of their everyday lives”. In these statistics included teenagers and students, who use

smartphones more often and spend more time using them than adults or older population.

Regarding smartphones are useful, popular technology there are few negative impacts on them.

Youngsters spend so much time on smartphones and then they don’t feel how they get

dependable. In addition, teenagers and adults use smartphones at schools, at work, where they

should be focused on their tasks, but phones distract them all the time. The purpose of my paper

is to prove that smartphones are a great technology and can be used as a time and money saver,

as well as being manageable.

In the beginning we had mobile phones, which basic functions were calling or texting.

Later, first smartphones were made with more functions, too quality of phones improved.

Companies year after year improving smartphones. Today’s phones have the Internet, GPS

system, great quality music and games and plenty more to enjoy. The most popular function for
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adults, but especially for teenagers is the Internet. According Cingel Drew P. “Using data

collected from a national sample of 467 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17, results

indicate that demographics, technology access, and technology ownership are related to social

media use and communication practices”. Users’ population of social media and social websites

are growing very fast. These days, young people spend so much time there, because they can

communicate with each other, share their thoughts, find new friends, watch movies, listen to

music and many more things they can do. Even job seekers or employees use social media; it is

helpful to find a job, or to post open job positions.

Smartphones have many positive ways to use it, but there are few negatives. In the

article “Is that bomb in your pocket? Or a spy? Or both?”, the author talks about the South

Korean firm who sold many phones with bad batteries then recalled them, fixed and gave back to

customers. According Rifkind Hugo “later the same phones were blowing up all over the place”.

In my opinion things happen, any other devices or even cars sometimes have manufacture

problems, but companies for bad devices gives money back or brand-new device. Another small

issue is when students use smartphones in school. During classes they are getting distracted, and

that is why some students’ learning quality suffer. According professor Frank Harris “Finally,

last spring-sparked by a student who couldn’t keep her phone away … I came up with a

smartphone policy that effectively ended the dance of distraction”. Frank Harris implemented his

own policy and it worked. This is just one way to control smartphones usage in school. The other

way is providing right training for students, where they would learn how to use smartphones in

school just for studying purposes. According to Leo Versel” Our motto here at common sense is’

Don’t make a ban, have a plan,”’. This is true because students will get upset if smartphones

would be banned at schools. I think it is hard to teach students discipline with the usage of
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smartphones, but it is possible. I think both parents and teachers agree with smartphones’

benefits in academic environment.

According Aurthut Charles” Instead, by the last three months of 2010, 94m PCs were

sold-and 100m smartphones”. This statistic tells us, population of smartphones’ users growing

every year faster and faster. Not just people in rich countries use smartphones, but as well in the

developing countries people keep buying smartphones. In those poor countries where people

can’t afford personal computers, to buy smartphones included the internet is cheaper for the

customers and for the government, which proves to be more convenient to provide. Another

group of people who benefit from smartphones is people with disabilities. According Jamison

Hill” I use my smartphone constantly not to get my fix, but to stay alive”. There are many people

like Jamison Hill who use smartphone to communicate with relatives or doctors with nurses.

Some people can’t walk, but still they can use smartphones to communicate with others, use

internet and have fun, in addition it is easier to check if a person is still ok, with just a text

message or quick call. In one of The New York Times articles Brian X. Chen talks about his

experiment, where newly created software he used with himself and a teenage girl. At first, he

explains beginning of the experiment and then every week separately. For three weeks they both

tried to reduce their time spent on smartphones. It was not easy for them, but they were satisfied

with results. According Brian X. Chen “It’s annoying having phone but not being able to use it,”

she said. “I think it increases my good habits, though”. Brian too reduced his time used on

smartphone. So, this experiment shows it is hard just at beginning when trying to reduce time

spent using a smartphone, either using applications like this one or other ways to trick own mind.

It proves if anybody who is dependent on smartphone would spend little less time everyday with

their smartphones, than smartphone wouldn’t be an issue for them, but a great tool to use. “A
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recent study found that, on average, teens spend more than four hours per day on their phones

and a quarter of teens clock more than eight hours” (Joe Bubar). That is a long time spent just on

smartphones. There are many solutions to reduce time spent on smartphones. Different countries

have treatment centers, some have “Digital Boot camps” (Joe Bubar.), where teenagers or adults

being helped by professionals. Experts work on different solutions, while teenagers already

started helping themselves. In the article “Are You Hooked on Your Phone? ”one teenager says,

“I’ll put it on airplane mode…and do my homework” (Linda Peng), in other’ teenager words “I

keep my phone from taking over time by creating a list of things I need to do. By keeping busy,

I’m not always thinking about it!” (Anne Hoffman).

In my opinion smartphones’ technology should keep improving all the time. There are

some positive and negative impacts of smartphones, but in general they are a great tool for adults

and youngsters. Instructors and teachers need to focus on integrating smartphones in the learning

process, not to ban them from schools. Parents should find positive solutions to reduce children’s

time spend on smartphones, in some ways where their children will agree with them. If not going

to be any drastic changes, we may have all related problems with smartphones and students to be

even worse. Some adults are too dependable on smartphones, so they should start with

themselves and then teach their kids when kids are young and copy everything from their

parents. Smartphone is just one kind of technology; any technology can be helpful if you know

how to use it properly.

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Works Cited

Aurthur, Charles. “Smartphones Will Replace the Personal Computer.” Smartphones, edited by

Roman Espejo, Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in

Context http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010867223/OVIC?u=lincclin_sjrcc&sid

=OVIC&xid=34030886. Accessed 24 July 2018. Originally published as “How the

Smartphone is Killing the PC,” Guardian, 5 June 2011.

Bubar, Joe. “Are You Hooked on Your Phone?” Junior Scholastic/Current Events, 12 Mar. 2108,

p. 6+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A5317110

20/OVIC?u=lincclin_sjrcc&sid=OVIC&xid=e62a6815. Accessed 25 July 2018.

Cavanagh, Sean. “Smartphones Evolve into Popular Tool for High Schoolers.” Education Week,

12 June 2013, p. 9. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, http://galegroup.com/apps/doc

/A536430632/OVIC?u=lincclin_sjrcc&sid=OVIC&xid=9937d942. Accessed 23 July 2018.

Chen, Brian X. “Step Away from the Phone: Cutting Back On-Screen Time.” New York Times,

12 July 2018, p. B1(L). Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A54

6263351/AONE?u=lincclin_sjrcc&sid=AONE&xid=5402f2e1. Accessed 23 July 2018.

Cingel, Drew P., et al. “Predicting social networking site use and online communication

practices among adolescents: the role of access and device ownership.” Media and

Communication, vol. 2, no. 2, 2014, p. 1+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

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http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A396138198/OVIC?u=lincclin_sjrcc&sid=OVIC&

xid=2f1e959a. Accessed 25 July 2018.

Harris, Frank. “Restrictions on Cell Phone Use in the Classroom Are Necessary.” Opposing

Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2018. Opposing Viewpoints In Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/QGHQTE003865937/OVIC?u=lincclin_sjrcc&sid

=OVIC&xid=2a01034d. Accessed 23 July 2018. Originally published as “Nothing

Smart About Phones in Classrooms, “Harford Courant, 11 Jan. 2018.

Hill, Jamison. “For People with Disabilities, Smartphone Use May be a Matter of Survival

Not Addiction. “Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2018. Opposing

Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/LTNPEV406812564/OVIC

?u=lincclin_sjrcc&sid=OVIC&xid=925525a5. Accessed 24 July 2018. Originally

published as “I’m not ‘addicted’ to my smartphone. I depend on it to survive,

” Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2017.

Rifkind, Hugo. “Is that bomb in your pocket? Or a spy? Or both?” Spectator, 15 Oct.

2016, p. 26. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps

/doc/A466511298/OVIC?u=lincclin_sjrcc&sid=OVIC&xid=fc316dc9. Accessed 25 July

2018.

“Smartphones.” Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2018. Opposing Viewpoints

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In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/PC3010999207/OVIC?u=lincc

lin_sjrcc&sid=OVIC&xid=de0f7fc6. Accessed 22 July 2018.

Versel, Leo. “Teachers Need Training to Successfully Bring Cell Phones into the

Classroom.” Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2018. Opposing

Viewpoints In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/WTJRHT258650463/

OVIC?u=lincclin_sjrcc&sid=OVIC&xid=a3f30c6e. Accessed 22 July 2018.

Originally published as “As Cell Phones Proliferate in K-12, Schools Search

for Smart Policies,” Education Week, 8 Feb. 2018.