Cellphone Addiction

Today, we will be reviewing and critiquing an article on how smartphones have impacted everyday living in a multitude of ways, titled How Smartphones Make us Superhuman. I chose this article to look at due to the fact that Matt and I believe that smartphones are having more of a negative impact on society rather than being used as a tool for communication. It is valuable to hear both sides of every perspective, so I wanted to hear different ways of thinking and other positive reasons to look. One key point from the article I found interesting was when it mentioned how helpful the CEO of MicroStrategy said his phone was. He talked about how he checks his phone about once every minute, 500 to 1,000 times a day to receive updates from his colleagues and friends. Personally, I do not think this is necessary to check your phone that much and although it can be helpful, I perceive it to be more hurtful. I understand that getting updates from coworkers can be crucial, but to consistently look at your phone that much can take away from face to face socializing and other types of constructive interactions. In my opinion, especially with friends, you can always hear information from people later on in the day or get up and talk with your colleagues in person rather than via smartphones. This way, you can see how they feel easier, and it eliminates the chance for miscommunication errors such as not noticing sarcasm or typing flaws. Another place in the article I found to be thought-provoking was when it stated how constantly using smartphones can also lead users to develop feelings of isolation and loneliness. I had never actually thought of this, but looking back on it I can see how this makes complete sense. If someone is on their phone socializing and keeping up to date with friends and family, they might not feel the need to see them in person to catch up, due to the fact that they already know what is going on in each other's lives. I find this relatable in my life, because whenever I spend an hour or more on my phone not only does it eliminate that time I could be using socializing with friends or others, but it also allows me to see what people are up to on social media or snapchat my friends to see what they are up to.