Since 2012, smartphone usage has grown by 81 percent.  Is cell phone usage a positive or negative hobby?  This question is frequently debated in modern society. Writers Sarah Payne and Lauren Pantleo analyze the pros (Sarah) and cons (Lauren) of cell phones.

SAFETY:

Sarah: A student is on their way home from an away game. A car comes speeding down the road, heading straight at them. Instinctively, they jerk the steering wheel to swerve out of the way. Their car ends up in the ditch along the side of the road. They get out of the car and call their parents to have someone pick them up.

Without cell phones, people who get in crashes or accidents don’t have a quick way to call for help. Someone can be left stranded until another person happens to come along, and there’s no telling how long that could take. Cell phones allow for easy communication between friends and family in case of an emergency or serious accident.

Lauren: Cell phones aren’t entirely safe; in fact, they may even be a cause of cancer.  Research is being conducted to find out if this is true.

According to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of health, “Cell phones emit radiofrequency energy, a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, which can be absorbed by tissues closest to where the phone is held.”

I would prefer not to have cancer due to something I can prevent. This is a major con that may be provided by cell phones.

Also, a person could be added to random conversations with unknown people because someone had the wrong number. One day, I was added to a group chat with people I didn’t know. They didn’t even speak English. It’s a danger to anyone if random numbers can be contacted at any point in time.

Cell phones can be a hazard to both health and privacy.

KEEPING IN TOUCH:

Sarah: Before cell phones were invented, a person had to stay relatively close to the home phone when waiting for a call from a relative, co-worker, or classmate. If a friend needs to call, but a family member needs to talk to a different person, someone has to give up their individual talking time so the other can get their work done. Having a cell phone enables people to have conversations without interfering with people around them. Cell phones allow for relatives to send updates about job interviews, sporting events, competitions, and any other significant events.

Lauren: Let’s be honest, is it enjoyable to text everyone all of the time? Keeping in touch with people can be a great thing, until it becomes a little too much. A vacation can be more relaxing without the distraction of a cell phone, but simply explaining this thought process can make others upset.

Along those lines, tone is lost within a text. I can’t tell how many times I have been texting someone something sarcastic, but they take it the wrong way. The joke can be ruined after having to explain the intended tone in the original message.

In addition to losing tone, a person can lose literacy and personable skills. We’ve all messaged or texted a person who sounds great through text, but as soon as they are seen in person, they can barely speak. It’s like they’re a completely different person.  What happened to that person you thought you knew online?  Using abbreviations such as lol, brb, or whatevs affects how someone will use those words everyday.

AT YOUR FINGERTIPS:

Sarah: Along with keeping in touch with distant friends and relatives and being able to alert someone of an accident, Internet-capable cell phones give users a vast majority of knowledge and answers for any questions that may come up.

Steve Ballmer, an American businessman, said “The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn’t think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential.”

I believe that cellphones are dangerous only when used improperly, just like most other things (seatbelts, pencils, scissors, the list could go on.) Just because something is dangerous in some cases, doesn’t mean the thing in and of itself is inherently bad. The ability to learn, grow, and discover through the vast expanse of knowledge provided to us outweighs the dangers.

Lauren: In my opinion, cell phones are distracting. Instead of doing homework, or listening to family at dinner, people are texting.  I agree that texting is a lot more fun, but homework comes first. With a phone always at someone’s fingertips, distractions come much more easily.

Texting and driving is becoming a huge issue as well. “In 2011, at least 23% of collisions involved cell phones.” according to Textinganddrivingsafety.com.

Phones make it easier to cheat. If technology didn’t make it easier, why do teachers tell us to put it away when we take a test? With the availability of internet or simply texting friends for the answer, there are multiple ways to cheat. Common sense media stated “The poll, conducted by The Benenson Strategy Group, revealed that more than 35% of teens admit to cheating with cell phones, and more than half admit to using the Internet to cheat.”

 What do you think?  Do the benefits of cell phones outweigh the risks?  Let us know in the comments.