Cellphones Remain Useful Tools, But They Might Not Be Worth the Risk
Cellphones are harmless and entirely beneficial—right? Actually, though they are in fact quite useful tools, some studies suggest that cellphones might have a much more negative impact on our lives than we might think. As was discussed in the previous blog post, excessive use of smartphones is considered to be closely associated with loneliness as well as other social insecurities. Consequently, problematic smartphone use is likely to be responsible for psychological problems as well: more specifically, anxiety. In fact, “[a] study of more than 300 college students found heavier technology use was tied to greater risk for anxiety and depression” (Mozes). Furthermore, “researchers noted that the percent of the incoming class who reported feeling ‘overwhelmed’ grew from 18 percent in 1985, to 29 percent in 2010, and to 41 percent in 2016” (Keating). Considering the rising use of technology, the heightened levels of depression and anxiety observed in young adults and teens may in fact be closely linked to the growing amount of cellphone usage in society today. In an article by ABC News concerning an experiment done by Dr. Nancy Cheever, subjects were told to focus on a video and their phones were moved out of reach. Their heart rates as well as perspiration levels were then measured to test anxiety as the phones were sent numerous notifications. “Most people experience an emotional response that floods their body with stress hormones when they hear their phone go off,” explained Cheever (ABC News). Sure enough, all three subjects responded with signs of stress as their phones received the texts and phone calls. Furthermore, both teenage girls showed anxiety that was more than four times greater than that of the adult included in the study. If our phones are causing us this much stress every day, clearly something needs to change in our day-to-day life in order to prevent further damage. According to Dr. Cheever with ABC News, “the more people use their phone, the more anxious they are about using their phone.” With technology and phone usage growing every year, this is a worrisome concept to acknowledge. As cellphones are still relatively new technology, this generation is only the very first to experience these types of problems. There is really no way to fully conceive the repercussions that cellphones may have on our lives in the long run. This outlines yet another reason it is important to be aware of the importance of our cellphone in our life, as well as the many ways in which it might affect our health if left uncontrolled.
Works Cited
ABC News. “Excessive cellphone use may cause anxiety, experts warn.” ABC News. July 28 2017, http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/excessive-cellphone-anxiety-experts-warn/story?id=48842476. Accessed December 17 2017.
Keating, Daniel. “Why Are Teens So Stressed and What Can Break the Cycle?” Psychology Today. Nov. 1 2017, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/stressful-lives/201711/why-are-teens-so-stressed-and-what-can-break-the-cycle. Accessed December 18 2017.
Mozes, Alan. “Excess Cellphone Use May Mean Anxiety, Depression.” WebMD. March 15 2016, https://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20160315/could-too-much-cellphone-time-signal-anxiety-depression#1. Accessed December 17 2017.