StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Addiction to Cell Phones - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
There is no debate about the fact that cell phone usage has increased dramatically over the last few years, in line with the number of functions that we expect our cell phone to do. Cell phone owners now have the option of relying on their phone for satellite navigation, radio,…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.4% of users find it useful
Addiction to Cell Phones
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Addiction to Cell Phones"

Cell Phone Addiction There is no debate about the fact that cell phone usage has increased dramatically over the last few years, in line with the number of functions that we expect our cell phone to do. Cell phone owners now have the option of relying on their phone for satellite navigation, radio, web browsing as well as the usual functions of texting and calling (Simmons, 2010). In line with this, there has been an increase in the number of texts sent each day, as well as the use of “free” texting services such as BBM (Hyman, 2013).

This has led some people to believe that the U.S. is a nation addicted to their cell phones. However, how do we decide whether our cell phone usage is normal, or if it is a real addiction that needs to be tackled in the same way?There are suggestions that cell phone addiction is an addiction like any other, so we need to apply the same conventions to this as we would for a drug or alcohol abuse problem. These include increased tolerance (needing more cell phone time to achieve the same result), an inability to cut back on use (an inability to leave the phone at home for a day or to enter a no signal area), and a reduction in competing behaviours (Hyman, 2013).

Arguably, many cell phone users do have a cell phone addiction based on these criteria, because it can be difficult to be without a phone when those around you are consistently using theirs. Additionally, there are now situations in which we rely on a cell phone for social behaviours, which should be seen as positive. This is not the same negative consequence as would come from a reliance upon drugs and alcohol.Much of the language that people are using to describe this issue is quite biased.

Whilst there are some scientific sources which tackle the issue from a psychological perspective (Hyman, 2013), news sources tend to side on hysterical (Carbonell et al, 2009). Mozes (2012) describes cell phones as an example of “materialism” and “impusiveness”, which are traditionally negative traits. This article suggests that much of the problem with cell phones could be compared to the actions of peacocks when they display their lek behaviour (Jenaro et al, 2007). This is backed up with some serious fact s and figures about the issues, as over 90% of students at U.S. colleges have a cell phone, and an average of 3200 texts are now sent per month by young adults.

Arguably, this does signal a problem for those who use cell phones. 3200 texts are now sent by young people a month, which means that they must spend a lot of time on their cell phones, which could be considered an addiction. However, it is important to look at the behaviours that this replaces as well as the consequences to define whether it is an addiction or not. For example, texting may have allowed people to increase their social interaction and therefore increase their psychological well-being (Koo & Park, 2010), making them happier and therefore more productive.

This does not seem like the result of an addiction, or at least not the result of a damaging addiction. The use of the word addiction may be accurate in it signifies “overuse”, but does have a lot of negative connotations that I believe are not appropriate to describe modern cell phone usage.Additionally, cell phones are an extremely new technology. This means that they cannot be judged by old standards, because many of the standards were not created to describe elements of the internet age (Koo & Park, 2010).

Human lifestyles are changing, which means that their perception of addiction and overuse are also changing. Combining this change with the fact that cell phone usage may allow young people to keep safe (without getting lost) and increase their social capacity, it seems as though the negative connotations of the word “addiction” should be left out of this argument. Perhaps the term “reliance” would be more appropriate, as this describes the growing use of cell phones without criminalizing the behaviour.

Works CitedCarbonell, X., Guardiola, E., Beranuy, M., & Bellés, A. (2009). A bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature on Internet, video games, and cell phone addiction. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA, 97(2), 102.Hyman, I. (2013). Are You Addicted to Your Cell Phone? Retrieved April 28, 2013, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mental-mishaps/201303/are-you-addicted-your-cell-phoneJenaro, C., Flores, N., Gómez-Vela, M., González-Gil, F., & Caballo, C. (2007).

Problematic internet and cell-phone use: Psychological, behavioral, and health correlates. Addiction research & theory, 15(3), 309–320.Koo, H. Y., & Park, H. S. (2010). Factors influencing cell phone addiction in adolescents. Journal of Korean Academy of Child Health Nursing, 16(1), 56–65.Mozes, A. (2012). Can Excessive Cellphone Use Become an Addiction? Retrieved April 28, 2013, from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/12/04/can-excessive-cellphone-use-become-an-addictionSimmons, L. L. (2010).

The Everything Health Guide to Addiction and Recovery: Control your behavior and build a better life. Adams Media.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Addiction to Cell Phones Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/english/1621286-addiction-to-cell-phones
(Addiction to Cell Phones Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
https://studentshare.org/english/1621286-addiction-to-cell-phones.
“Addiction to Cell Phones Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/english/1621286-addiction-to-cell-phones.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Addiction to Cell Phones

Cell Phone Usage and Social Interaction with Proximate Others

cell phones are considered as means of revolutionized communication that has made world a compact, wireless place where human connection is mainly based on these hand-held devices.... cell phones are considered as means of revolutionized communication that has made world a compact, wireless place where human connection is mainly based on these hand-held devices.... Cell Phone Usage and Social Interaction with Proximate Others Distraction caused by cell phones during driving due to its various functions i....
4 Pages (1000 words) Assignment

Cellphone (iPhone)

The introduction of the iPhone can be said to have changed the way that individuals use cell phones and as mentioned earlier, can be referred to as one of the leaders of smart-phone technology (Vogelstein).... Some of the positive influences that the iPhone has had on the society include: Improved Communication The iPhone has ensured that the means of communication available to the public have improved drastically in comparison to earlier cell phones and the narrow range of options that it offered (Murtazin 21)....
3 Pages (750 words) Research Paper

Imapct of Androids and Smart Phones on the Apple I Phone Market

The paper will explain the impact of android and smart phones on the apple iphone market.... In a brief text, the paper will also state the differences of these phones in relevance to the topic.... Apple has a brand of phones that is very popular.... After androids and other smart phones were introduced into the market, there has been radical change in preference when it comes to smart phones.... This is because some of the android operated phones are cheaper and offer a wide range of functions....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Email Regarding Cell Phone Use While Driving

No one can deny the advantageousness of the cell phones regarding communication that is essential for a business.... hellip; Like many other businesses, we also use cell phones as we have to be in touch with our sales representatives and other employees.... The sales representatives use cell phones when they are on their job missions.... Nowadays, it is seen that many traffic accidents are there because of the usage of cell phones while driving....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Cell Phones vs Landlines - the Advantages and Disadvantages

Traditionally, landlines were the ones used for homes and offices but nowadays more people have switched to cell phones.... From the paper "cell phones vs Landlines - the Advantages and Disadvantages" it is clear that landlines need physical connections which make them less versatile than cell phones.... hellip; When choosing between which one to get between cell phones and landlines, it is important to carefully look at the pros and cons of both so as to be in a better position to make an informed choice....
7 Pages (1750 words) Research Paper

Relatioship with smart phones; Mass communication

The iPhones multiple features have also contributed a great deal to cell phone addiction and the pathological use of mobile phones, for surfing the internet, gaming and other activities have been subject to many studies related to behavioral addiction (Carbonell et al.... Leading in terms of mobile supremacy are the iPhones, which are advanced mobile phones that satisfy virtually all communication needs.... venson, O & Patten, CJD 2005, ‘Mobile phones and driving: A review of contemporary research', Cognition, Technology & Work, vol....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Cell Phone Addiction - a Growing Social Problem

Adolescents, young adults, and college students are spending much time on their cell phones.... Research, for instance, has associated the use of cell phones while driving with accidents.... A wide of the body of information is available to suggest the use of cell phones while on the wheel reduces one's capacity to be attentive even in cases there are hands-free devices.... Yet many people will not stop the overuse of mobile phones on their own....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Effect of Cell Phones on the Way people Interact with one Another

In fact, the generation of today is more socially active, extrovert, participative, enthusiastic, vigorous, and energetic partly due to cell phones.... … The paper "Effect of cell phones" is an impressive example of a term paper on technology.... However, there may be many pros of cell phones in other domains but it seriously damaged and disrupted the way in which people communicate with each other.... Without any doubts, the life of today is much easier, as compared to tomorrow and thanks to the invention of cell phones....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us