Smartphone Culture

Smartphones have increased numerously all over the world where high population uses them on their daily basis with internet wherever they go thus able to communicate easily. Additionally, usage of smartphones has had cultural variation in the society which is both positive and negative for the past few years as many people acquire them due to their cheapness and more comfortable operation. This essay will focus on answering whether smartphones have a new variation of culture and look at both the positive and negative effects of smartphones.

Positive effects

            Smartphones have brought good changes to the culture and society in general as they can bring effective and efficient use of available resources to deliver a better outcome. People can know other people culture of even future generation learn about their cultural deeds using the smartphones by researching from the internet. Firstly, their use in education, students can snap pictures of their friend's notes rather than taking a lot of time copying them; also they can discuss online and answer to teachers’ questions (Anshari, Muhammad et al., 3065). Furthermore, teaching and learning had eased compared to previously where both teachers and students needed to go to the library or consult from one another when they needed new information. Nevertheless, with smartphones, one can search from the internet and get all information which is wider and more reliable since it's from all over the world unlike from just one book or individual (Anshari, Muhammad, et al., 3071).

            Indeed, smartphones have introduced camera everywhere; therefore, people can take pictures or videos of their exciting moments and review them later. More so, it’s easier to transfer the videos or images digitally unlike before where it was a must to go to a photo studio to make a copy (Walsh, Tanja, et al.). Also, the smartphone's cameras are portable, and photos are digital thus save on space, unlike traditionally videos and pictures stored on an album or DVDs which used a lot of space. Further, smartphones allow people at different locations to have a communication one on one using video calls. Therefore, this helps reduce the distance between people without the high cost of traveling from one destination to another hence socialization is made easier (Mindsight).

            Thirdly, smartphones have been very helpful in business. The business professionals can monitor their business more efficiently and access business communication faster while responding to urgent needs with less time. For instance, those online businesses can be run smoothly using smartphones as the social media pages can be monitored from anywhere using a smartphone (Mindsight). Also, directions easily understood when the customer has a smartphone as they can even use google maps and the cost and time for opening and delivery of goods in the mobile app which both the client and business owner can access. Therefore, with smartphones, a small business can run smoothly as they also have a chance to take soft loans from various mobile loan apps or access their bank accounts using the phone (Mindsight). Finally, they increase interaction and connection between people, e.g., with the introduction of dating sites people can find their lovers (Walsh, Tanja, et al.).

Negative effects

            Nonetheless, smartphones also have adverse implications for example fear of missing out (FOMO) which mostly affect the youths. When an individual sees the noteworthy events of another person's life in social media like Facebook or Instagram, they tend to feel short by comparison with the other person life (Mindsight). For instance, many youths keep check of ‘likes,' and ‘comments' in the social media pages and those with the lots of these two are considered to be famous or celebs, therefore, those with fewer ones can be affected by FOMO (Walsh, Tanja, et al.). Hence, people are not independent of their lives like they were before.

            Besides, smartphones lead to the bad behavior of youths and adults in a society which results to adultery, increase in crimes, etc. mostly, with social media it’s not possible to monitor what the user of the phone is viewing thus some visit pornographic sites or sites selling illegal arms (Mindsight). Also, one reputation can be ruined faster with smartphones since people will share the defamation message or untruthful message which will lead to panicking of society. Finally, nomophobia is another diagnosable disorder in which people cannot live without their smartphones whether at work, church or hospitals. Therefore, in case the device is lost or has a problem the owner has the anxiety of spending the day without the phone which is not good for their health (Chia-Yi and Kuo, 802).

Conclusion

            Smartphones have the potential to change society for the better in education, business or individual lives. However, the adverse effects need to mitigate by having a healthy balance of using smartphones by monitoring social and psychological challenges.

Works Cited

Anshari, Muhammad, et al. "Smartphones usage in the classrooms: Learning aid or interference?" Education and Information Technologies 22.6 (2017): 3063-3079.

Liu, Chia-Yi, and Feng-Yang Kuo. "A study of Internet addiction through the lens of the interpersonal theory." CyberPsychology & Behavior

10.6 (2007): 799-804.

Mindsight. “The cultural change that came with the smartphone” 21 October 2016, https://www.gomindsight.com/blog/good-bad-smartphone-culture/

Walsh, Tanja, Piia Nurkka, and Rod Walsh. "Cultural differences in smartphone user experience evaluation." Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia. ACM, 2010.