Pros of Smart Phones by Lisa Tuttle With a smart phone in the palm of your hands, you are connected to the world. “I like smart phones because they make it easier for you to multi-task, text without making any noise, and to connect to the rest of the world [through the Internet] in seconds,” said Sabine Usterud, a sophomore studying art education from Stockholm, Sweden.As you slide a finger across the screen, you are able to get updates on local and world news within seconds of it happening. It also makes connecting with people all around the world easy. It seems like they are right there as you use applications such as FaceTime, Snap Chat, and Skype.“I love my iPhone. It goes everywhere with me. I especially enjoy Snap Chatting everyone I know. It helps me stay connected with my busy life on the go. It helps people see my activities and my different faces through the day. You can always find me Snap Chatting,” said Chanel Barnes, a sophomore in English from Cedar, Utah. Traveling the world has become simpler with a smart phone. There are applications that make booking your trip easier and portable. There are also translating applications and GPS systems that will get you around and will help in understanding signs and phrases while you are in a foreign country. The possibilities of applications are endless. There are even diet plans and workout features that can help smart phone owners get healthier by having a nutritionist and personal trainer right there in your pocket. The access to knowledge is always there. You can get books and information with ease. In an LDS community, it is beneficial for people to reduce their scripture set, lesson manuals, and conference talks into one single pocket-sized device. “I enjoy using my smart phones for all kinds of things. It is fun to look up workouts. I also like to use it to talk to my friends and family. They are so convenient. It would be hard to live without them,” said Allison Smilanich, a junior studying business from Provo, Utah.Cons of Smart Phones by Jennifer HerreraSmartphones do more than call and text. They create a virtual world that traps people in a web of media. “I am constantly on my phone. I have almost every app on my phone and I do everything [with it], from paying bills to buying books, and keeping in touch with friends,” said Concordia Lo, a junior and biochemistry major from Vancouver, Canada. With all their features and personalized apps, some students said their phone has become an extension of their body. “I feel like I am missing a limb when I am without my phone and when I happen to forget my phone, or it dies on me, I feel anxious like if the whole world is trying to get a hold of me,” Lo said. “Smart phones can control your life and people can even develop some sort of emotional relationship with an electronic device,” she added. According to CNN, 42 percent of mobile users use their smartphones for entertainment when they are bored. Christopher Lynn, an anthropology professor at the University of Alabama, described how smartphones provide a stimulant of games, music and videos. Lynn said people have become “super stimulated” and experience boredom more often. When people do not have the stimulation that comes from their smartphone, they “don’t know what to do…[they] aren’t used to having down time [and] it results in anxiety,” says Lynn in a CNN report. With all their apps and features, smartphones become both a distraction and a financial burden. “It seems as though a lot of times you are on Facebook more than reality, and the bill for a smart phone is really expensive to just be on Facebook half the time. I heard if you talk on your phone too much, the radiation from the signals can be cancerous,” said Karlyn Jensen, a biology major from Seattle, Wash. “Many use their smart phones in place of actually socializing with other people and they become a big distraction while studying or doing anything in general. People start checking their smartphones apps constantly and turn their smart phones into their life. Instead of making your life easier it just complicates it,” said Gentry Bailey, an education major from Big Island, Hawaii. Karsten Griffin, a junior in biochemistry from California, also described the social effects of smartphones. “There is less human interaction, at least, less face-to-face versus real human interaction and you develop a reliance on the phone and you start forgetting how to do things on your own,” she said.
Writer: Jennifer Herrera and Lisa Tuttle
