The Phone Plague

     Communication devices have been a great part of our society ever since the invention of the telephone. The way it evolved through many generations and became part of people’s lives truly demonstrates the impact that these devices have. From phone calls, to video chats, and texting, the methods of communicating to one another are endless! What about face-to-face conversations? Was it that the original way of communicating to people? What happened to it? Perhaps, the constant rise of phones and laptops are the ones to blame and here is why.

     Communication devices have changed the way people interact. They don’t have these gatherings that often anymore, instead, they just do group calls on social apps such as Skype. Yes, those apps can be very convenient but it sort off makes people lose their interest in actually hanging out with their friends and having fun. Not only that, but by not being able to talk to people in person, you lose communication skills. Have you ever had that time when you’re writing a formal essay or a PowerPoint presentation and you accidentally use texting slang such as “u” or “LOL” or “Swag”… somewhere along those lines? I know I have and it’s not pretty when your teacher hands the assignment back to you with a bad grade. It’s a habit that I eventually changed as I moved away from social media more and tried to engage face-to-face conversations with my friends.

Titled "Mobile Lovers" by Banksy, this artwork shows the society that we are in and how phones have affected our relationships with other people.

     Social interactions also change the relationship that people have with their families. By being a lot more focused on your phone, chatting with your friends, you lose bonding time with your family. That is not good at all. Family time is one of the best times that a person can have because… family is great! If you feel guilty because you are one of these people, don’t worry! Try setting time limits on your devices and spend the rest on your family. Activities such as watching movies or going outside are very good ways to keep out of your devices and be more interactive.

     In an academic point of view, phones and laptops have their goods and bads. For example, you can use them for research or provide efficient communication during group projects. However, this freedom also allows students to stray away from the school’s intent for the use of devices for educational purposes only. This can really affect a student’s academic excellence. In order to prevent this, the school can block specific social media websites that students could potentially use during school hours in order to keep them focused on their task at hand.  That way, they’ll still be able to use their devices but more towards the academic use of it.

   In conclusion, communication devices are a great way to save time and offer convenience to people. However, too much of it can affect a person significantly and it might change them as a whole.

In other words, control the way you use your phone. Don't let it control how you live your life.