After googling “Are smartphones ruining society?” I read the article “Why your smartphone Is Destroying Your Life” by Anna Akbari. Throughout the article, Akbari presents data to persuade readers to disconnect from their smartphones. One piece of data that stood out to me was “a visible phone in a social setting measurably decreases the depth of the interaction, creating more superficial social exchanges” (Akbari). It is extremely concerning that smartphones change how people socialize when they are present. When we look around, most people have their heads nuzzled in their phones causing them to miss out on the world around them. We are allowing our smartphones to become more important than our relationships and interactions with other people. People will no longer be as empathetic to others if they constantly choose to only interact with their smartphones. Furthermore, I read the article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” by Jean Twenge. One serious problem of using smartphones that the article discusses is the more teens use their smartphones then the more likely the are to report symptoms of depression. They do not spend as much time with friends as they do on social media causing them to feel lonely. A study on eighth graders revealed that “Eighth-graders who are heavy users of social media increase their risk of depression by 27 percent, while those who play sports, go to religious services, or even do homework more than the average teen cut their risk significantly” (Twenge). Children are growing up too dependent on their phones and social media to entertain them. They are risking their mental health by staring at a screen all day and increasing “their risk of depression by 27 percent.” Smartphones are causing children to miss out on the world and all the amazing opportunities in front of them. They should instead be dedicating their time to building strong relationships with other people, playing sports, doing homework, or doing anything else they enjoy. It is time that we realize that smartphones are detrimental to our mental health, and we need to put our screens down to interact with the world surrounding us. The sources I used are credible because they are from notable publications, but that does not mean they are not biased.
“Why your smartphone Is Destroying Your Life” by Anna Akbari
“Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” by Jean Twenge
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