Are Smartphones Good or Bad?

The new age long discussion is all about the pros and cons of having a smartphone. Without a doubt these new little digital boxes turned the whole world upside down. Is it all positive? Perhaps not but I bet you own a smartphone yourself. It’s inevitable – the level of convenience just outweighs all the negative sides of having an internet connected phone.

But people need to be careful especially when it comes to their children. Advanced communication and everything else that you get by using one of these gadgets is fine but a first grader with a smartphone might be a little too much. Kids get easily distracted and even more easily addicted to colorful entertainment. Constant access to video games (because children that age can’t probably type in order to chat) might obstruct and reduce their level of discipline. Not only that but it might affect their motivation too. If their brain thinks about playing a game or watching a cartoon on a device that’s right in their pocket you might have a really hard time trying to teach or show them something that is school  or home related. It’s also not very good for kids’ eyes. Not because the screen is really radiating so many bad particles but due the fact that they spend hours and hours staring at it. Because let’s face it, a child won’t spend 4 hours learning to read or do calculous. But a fast racing game on the phone might make them stick for large chunks of time.

Of course that goes for adults as well. Now add social networks, because that’s what grown ups or children in high school really do with their smartphones. They chat, they like statuses, they post statuses, they take selfies and share them. There are thousands of ways to waste your time on your phone when you have unlimited internet access. This is where it gets tricky. If we spend (at least) 60% of our time doing something like that our productivity will hit an all-time low. And many adults do. They don’t try as hard at their work place, they don’t read books, don’t follow news, don’t go for walks just because Facebook and Instagram are more important. Social networks are a great way to stay in touch with people or receive information, but having an all-day access to them thanks, to your mobile device can really plague your mind. Moderation is key.

But of course this incredibly advanced technology can be a life-saver. Imagine you are hurrying home where a couple of friends of yours have promised to help you move out. But as you ride on the London subway, they call and cancel. In this very minute you have the opportunity to whip out your phone, go online and find the best removals company in London in a matter of seconds. Calling directly a company isn’t always the best. When you go online you can check some feedback and also compare what a number of movers have to offer by looking at their websites. You can even book them through those very same websites. They’ll be at your doorstep the moment you get off the train. The level of convenience in that case is astonishing and really makes the case for owning a smartphone.

At the end of the day it’s really up to you how you conduct yourself and how you behave. You set your own priorities and if you use the power of the Internet wisely it can be an excellent servant. If not, I got bad news for you.