Gains, pains of smartphones

SMARTPHONES have completely changed lives today. In the past, people made so much efforts before getting messages across to one another.  But nowadays, the case is totally different. Smartphones have lots of positive vibes attached to them. According to Arne Holst, the number of smartphone users in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy and most populous country, is forecast to grow to more than 140 million by 2025. Currently, estimates from different sources put the number of smartphone users in Nigeria at roughly 25 and 40 million. With the use of smartphones, people can easily exchange information and at the same time communicate with a large number of people within and across national frontiers. Not only can a smartphone be used as a form of communication, it can also be used for educational purposes. Children watch educative videos and play educative games on smartphones. Smartphones also enable students through the internet to source information regarding issues that they find difficult to understand.

The Global Positioning Service on smartphones gives direction to people moving from one place to another. People do not need to go the extra mile to acquire digital cameras. Smartphones are equipped with the cameras needed to take pictures, video chat with friends and families and record videos of an event. Another positive effect is that it they are used for online transactions. And this creates  room for privacy. Smartphones are so vital in our daily lives. The speed at which we can perform so many tasks on them is incomparable. The fact that most people use their smartphones for business proves that they are efficient. In addition, most smartphones are portable and can be carried along with you wherever you go.  It can be in your pocket, handbag or wallet. The main reason people go everywhere with their smartphones is that they are  portable and useful. However, smartphone usage also has  negative effects.

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One of the negative effects of the use of smartphones is addiction. The first thing one does when one wakes up is to press the phone, oftenn without having any important task to do. This is common among the youths. According to a report from bankmycell,the average smartphone user checks their device 47 times a day/17,155  a year. Eighty per cent of smartphone users check their phones within an hour of waking up or going  to sleep. Again,  47 per cent of smartphone users have attempted to limit their usage in the past, but only 30 per cent felt that they were successful. According to a report by the Huffington Post, 71 per cent of smartphone users usually sleep with or next to their mobile phone.

Smartphones also encourage  reliance on the internet. Students often rely on Google to provide answers to their questions. Another negative effect is that smartphones can facilitate immorality among various kinds of people, especially the young ones. They are exposed to the internet and can gain access to different sites where they can watch pornographic videos. Another negative effect is that smartphones can cause poor social interaction and social disruption among people. The rate at which you interact with others will reduce if you are the type that spends six to seven hours on your phone at a stretch each day. Social disruption can happen in many ways; for instance: an important family event being disrupted by someone attending to an important call from work, somebody at a social gathering or party texting and chatting on phone rather than associating with other guests.  Smart phones can ruin the atmosphere at events and social meetings.

Part of the weaknesses of smartphones is that they are so dependent on battery power, and so you frequently have to check how much power is left and at the same time find means to charge them. According to Paul Goodman, the overall life of a mobile phone battery is just two to three years. Smartphones also contribute to sleeping difficulty, especially when people use their phones late at night, which is mostly common among youths and teenagers. Often, people get so immersed in the use of their phones that they collide with things, bump into people or even get to the middle of the road without looking. Drivers making or receiving calls or text messages and driving at the same time can get involved in serious accidents. Phones with special features and functions are mostly expensive. They give room for distraction, especially when there are notifications from various apps. Instead of concentrating on something else, you devote your attention to those notifications. In conclusion, while smartphones make our lives easier, we shouldn’t place too much dependency on them.

• Raji is a student of Mountain Top University, Ogun State.