The entry of mobile phones into our lives has changed everything we knew about life. Our way of living has transformed for the better or worse?

We have reached a stage when we cannot fathom living for even a few hours without a cell phone. Well! Someone has rightly said that we have locked up in our “cell” phones.

Let’s look at how mobile phones made an entry into our world and became a dominant factor in our lives!

Here’s what Wikipedia says-

The first handheld phone was demonstrated by Martin Cooper of Motorola in New York City in 1973. But the first mobile was launched by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone in 1979.

The basic purpose of the mobile phone was to facilitate communication when people were on the move. The communication could be through calls and text messages.

Then, with technological advancement, the mobile became smart!

Besides calling and texting, the mobile became a device that could function as a camera, compass, device for sending emails, accessing information, etc. And, with time it got smarter! It included features that enable users to perform functions such as banking, making bookings, making purchases, dating, ordering food, social media, and the list goes on!

Every year mobile companies offer new upgraded models with new features. With so many exciting features, it is impossible to look up from our smartphones! Therefore, it comes as no surprise that currently there are 6.64 billion smartphone users worldwide! (Source: https://earthweb.com/smartphone-statistics/). The number is only increasing by the minute!

So, now the first thing we do when we wake up is grabbing our mobiles to catch up on what had happened when we were sleeping. We love to share motivational messages with our friends and families early in the morning. In fact, two people sleeping in the same room may not even look at each other but will be quick enough to send each other a good morning message through the mobile.

People now prefer to sit at home and order food through apps instead of going out for a meal. And, even if they do go out they are hooked to their mobiles. I have seen families sitting at restaurant tables with each member looking at his/her mobile. Today, communication is not through calls but through WhatsApp messages.

Dating, which was earlier when two people met somewhere and tried to woo each other, has now become through smartphones. Apparently, our phones are smarter than us and can suggest a perfect match for us! We do not even try to use other means to interact and meet people to find out whether we gel with them or not.

We no longer need to visit brick-and-mortar stores anymore because everything is now available at home at the click of a button.

Surely, smartphones have made our lives comfortable. But have they enhanced the quality of life?

As stated earlier, we have become prisoners of our cell phones. We are no longer interested in exploring the outside world, meeting people, or any kind of interaction that requires us to leave our mobile phones aside.

We are dependent on our smartphones to fulfill all our needs. 

Thanks to our smartphones we are consuming content all the time, most of which is unnecessary content.

How does the dependence on smartphones impact us?

We are unable to establish lasting relationships because of a lack of communication. We live in a virtual world with virtual people and do not believe in investing time in real relationships. Strong relationships are an important pillar of a fulfilling life.

Lack of human interaction creates a void that is hard to fill. And, it leads to conditions like depression, anxiety, and more. The irony is that we need human interaction in the form of counselors and psychologists to solve these problems.

When we are constantly consuming content, our minds are affected. We cannot think clearly. Our thought process is influenced greatly by the content we consume.

Spending hours on the smartphone eats up our time and we are not even aware. We always find ourselves rushing due to lack of time, little realizing that the smart device in our hand is the reason.

And, this one comes from personal experience, spending hours on the mobile phone depletes our energy. We feel tired and lethargic. It is hard to imagine that this little gadget in our hands is actually making us tired.

One of the problems most students face these days is a lack of focus. They find it difficult to concentrate and study. This is because of excessive content consumption which creates clutter in their minds.

The reading habit is almost dead because people feel that anyway, all the information is available on the internet then why read? 

Those who like reading books prefer to read ebooks on their mobiles instead of reading the hard copy. Reading a book was a way to relax not something to be done and over with.

You will be surprised to know that insomnia affects 10% to 20% of the population across the globe. Some studies indicate that this figure could be as high as 50%-60%. (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5353813/). The number has increased in proportion to the number of smartphone users. Insomnia and smartphone usage are connected because excessive content consumption disturbs the mind and it is unable to relax. Also, people are afflicted by FOMO(Fear of missing out) and so their minds are working overtime even when they are trying to rest.

These aspects of smartphone usage impact the mental and physical well-being of an individual.

So, does this mean that we should give up on our smartphones?

No, because smartphones have a good side too!

To start with, during the lockdown it was our smartphones that helped us stay connected. Otherwise, we would have gone insane! Children could attend classes because of their smartphones. 

It is extremely useful when an individual is on the move and needs to communicate. For instance, if someone meets with an accident, the fastest way to identify the individual and communicate with the family is the mobile.

Google maps are a must in today’s time to find our way in any unknown place.

It comes in handy when we want to capture some beautiful moments.

Smartphones also help us access information easily.

Mobile phones speed up the decision-making process for businesses because people can connect from anywhere at any time.

Of-course banking through smartphones or ordering stuff using the mobile saves a lot of time.

But the question is what do we do with the time we save?

We diligently invest it in our smartphones!

So, what should we do about our smartphones?

Use your smartphone, Don’t get used by it!

Become Smarter than your Smartphone!

Use all the convenience smartphones offer but do not spend hours on the phone. Regulating the use of smartphones is the only way you can become smarter than them.

It will require conscious effort!

Go out, interact with others, develop a hobby that keeps you away from your mobile, spend quality time with friends and family, invest your time in exercise, meditation, ……! Find your own ways of staying away from your smartphone!

There are ways of regulating the use of smartphones and it is the need of the hour!