Effects of Constant Cell Phone Use on Teenagers
Cell phones and social media have significant consequences on society today. Many of these media platforms are popular on websites and have changed the way people communicate. Due to social networks, individuals have an opportunity to socialize and reconnect with friends and families internationally. The era of smartphones has become an essential tool for the young generation, where they can communicate, build ideas within social groups every day. Even though cell phones are essential in everyday life, they also pose a harmful effect. As pointed out by Silva said (n.d.), technology is, of course, a double-edged sword. Cell phones are useful and a part of our life, but if not used with caution, can also give some deadly results. One severe case is seen around the year 2018, where a 17-year-old youngster died using a cell phone while taking a shower (Adu, 2018). The constant use of cell phones in teenagers can lead to positive impacts such as sharing of vital information and learning purposes, despite the adverse effects such as the increase in anxiety and Teenage Texting Tendonitis (TTT), as well as lethal accidents to drivers.
Cell phones have pros and cons, just like any other technology. Youngsters use cellphones and digital technology to gain knowledge and acquire educational materials for a decisive advantage. More so, through smartphones and evolving technology, teenagers can develop new and existing relationships. As Ives (2012) concurs, the smartphone world has greatly transformed the lives of teenagers with various benefits without necessarily moving from state to state to convey ideas. Appropriate use of cellphones will instil positive impacts and result in the healthy development of the younger generation.
Moreover, appropriate and limited use of cellphones enhances coordination and allows one to be attentive, which, in turn, makes one have good time reaction (Cahir, Werner,2013). Besides, communication is simpler and easier to use as one has only to touch a button to pass a message on the other side. Nevertheless, smartphones and new technology has been associated with various negative impacts, especially among teenagers. At the start of 2019, anxiety was heading towards the most common illness around the globe, where teenagers were becoming victims daily. Conferring to Mental Health America (2019), anxiety problems are among common mental ailments in the U.S., where about 21% of adults are affected by the incapacitating illness every year. As it is seen in the modern world that technology is taking over, so does anxiety and depression. There is a direct connection between the growing technology and increased anxiety among teenagers. Technology and anxiety in teenagers were not a common thing a few decades ago, and this has resulted in many people to think about the effects that cell usage has on teenagers. The latest technologies, most commonly cell phones, are increasing anxiety in teenagers. The vast majority of teenagers check their cell phones more than 80 times a day. According to the South West News Service (SWNS) (2017), Americans check their handsets frequently once every twelve minutes. Checking cell phones consistently lead to addiction; once addicted, it is impossible to break the bond. Cell phone addiction is playing a significant role to cause anxiety in teenagers. According to new studies, the smartphone addiction could be resulting in the imbalances of the brain (“Americans Check Their Phones 80 Times A Day: Study”, 2017). Addiction to cell phones damages the brain and increases anxiety and depression, especially in teenagers. The addiction is so strong that it becomes hard for teenagers to pay attention in classes and follow the tutor’s instructions. Test-taking causes anxiety because students have not listened in class.
Unlimited use can result in anxiety, and also give Teen Texting Tendonitis. Problems and disease are often caused by technology, and now in the era of technology, doctors warn about Teen Texting Tendonitis. This is a syndrome caused by people who text a lot, often for hours in a day (Adu, 2018). Besides, it affects parts of the body, including the thumb, back, neck, arms, where in most cases, thumb and a neck are severely affected. From a case study pointed out by Williams, Isiah, and Byron (2011), a 14- year old girl visited a doctor due to a throbbing right thumb pain that had worsened with time. As a result, the doctor concluded that she was suffering from TTT after admitting to using texts unlimitedly. TTT is becoming popular among teens, who often set a record of texting. Parents have no clue how much texting their kids doing and neglect to keep an eye on them (“Average Teen Sends 3,339 Texts Per Month”, 2010).
Similarly, parents think that it is not their fault when kids suffer from syndromes like TTT. According to Nielsen (n.d.), as of 2010, female teens sent an incredible 4,050 text monthly, while their male counterparts sent about of 2,539 texts each month (“Average Teen Sends 3,339 Texts Per Month”, 2010). As the use of smartphones amongst teens increases every year, syndromes and diseases like Teen Texting Tendonitis are hitting their highest peak point.
While TTT gives non-serious injuries or pain, the constant use of cell phones can also result in injuries, even death. In this era of technology, the consequences of constant cell phone use are severe injury and death (Homayoun, 2018). Society already knows the cost of drunk driving and not wearing a seatbelt. Unfortunately, the new problem is driver distraction. Distracted driving occurs when a driver uses a text platform over the phone, which results in poor attention on the roads. Often, teenagers are the most victims of unfocussed driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTA), distracted driving caused about 3,477 fatalities and injured 391,000 individuals as of 2015 (“Distracted Driving Comes with A Cost: Your Life”, 2017, April 10). Distracted drivers don’t just total their cars and their life, but also cause to loss of other’s lives and destruction of their property. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stipulates that the U. S. spends about 129 billion dollars every year due to distracted driver, which is an average of $148 per citizen (Anderson, n.d.). As texting and driver cases rise every year, more laws and fines are implemented. Some states already enforce laws to reduce distracted driving. Causing accidents due to texting while driving, attracts fines, increase in insurance, and also jail terms, for instance, Washington DC was the first state to prohibit text driving (“Distracted Driving”, n.d.). On top of the fines, distracted drivers can lose their cars and also their licenses. Besides, distracted driving cases are rising every year and often caused by teenagers. Teenagers are usually not matured and think that they can respond to text and calls while driving. There is a need for parents to enforce an instil the importance of obeying all the traffic laws and keep their phone off while driving. Although cell phones come with several benefits, if not used with caution, they can result in some negative results.
In summary, as much as cellphones have proven to be efficient to many people by easing the way people communicate and access information, among other things, these mobile devices have had a bad influence on people. Too much usage of cell phones results in addiction, causing anxiety and imbalance in the brain. Also, excessive use of cell phone increases accidents caused by distracted drivers. There is a need for parents to regularly check the rate of phone usage among teenagers and come up with ways to limit excessive use to ensure productivity in school and other areas. In most cases, teenagers are the victim of side-effects that comes from constant cell phone use, so it is vital to pay special attention to the generation. If parents limit or terminate the unlimited texting plan, then the teenagers will start living a life without anxiety and a syndrome like TTT.
References
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