How Devices Are Ruining Our Lives - Essay Example

In the recent past, devices such as Cell phones have become part of life as users eventually find themselves chained to these devices. Studies have revealed that a majority of people ensures that their devices are within their reach at all times and keeps checking for updates on these devices even when there is no vibration or a sound alert (Abu-Shanab et al. 52). However, this comes with a range of benefits from the capturing of great moments, making funny videos, playing games, creating photo albums to writing emails and staying up with the latest events. Additionally, the devices provide users with instantaneous entertainment and travel information while enabling them to share content and interact. Despite the fundamental contribution that these devices have had to peoples wellbeing and comfort, there are numerous side effects that have been associated with the continued addiction of people to them. Some of these effects are indirect and therefore often go unnoticed but their overall impact counteracts the benefits linked to having these devices. As such, the following paper demonstrates the many ways in which devices are ruining the lives of people.

One of the ways in which devices are ruining peoples lives is by making it difficult for people to be where they are. It is expected that if one is in an office, their mind should also be there rather than being carried over to other environments created virtually on the devices. In Gowthami and Kumars view, a possible explanation for this is the addiction that arises from relying too much on the devices (476). This addiction also causes a distraction for young adults in classrooms due to the frequent calls and messages. The distraction leads to lack of focus and the students end up not concentrating in class or failing to complete their assignments which may significantly affect their academic performance (Abu-Shanab et al. 55). Abu-Shanab et al. liken this addiction to mobile devices to that of using drugs for a long period of time (53). The authors go ahead to provide a list of symptoms that can be used to detect addiction which include feeling nervous and depressed when separated from the device as well as using the garget when conversing face-to-face with someone.

Various studies have revealed the increasing rate of addiction to devices whereby it has been estimated to range between 3% to 12 % of users (Sarwar et al. 243). Another aspect of addiction that is seriously influencing the lives of people is the availability of gaming applications on the devices which means that addicts no longer have to wait till they get to their homes for them to indulge their passion. This may negatively affect their performance at work making them unproductive. Sarwar et al. support this by claiming that devices have caused a spillover with the eradication of the line between personal time and work (218). Also, the lives of gambling addicts have been ruined by the availability of these services on smartphone apps.

Another way devices are destroying the lives of people is by taking away peoples attention. This happens when people are having a serious conversation and after one expresses their feelings and emotions about something and now waiting for the response from the conversation partner, they come to realize that the other party in the conversation is miles away. Gowthami and Kumar note that the use of a mobile device while having a face-to-face conversation with someone can generate negative feelings toward the individual using the device (476). It is due to the loss of attention to devices that Sarwar et al. claim that the devices affect interactions between people whereby instead of them interacting when they have time to spend together, people spend time staring at their devices hence discouraging face-to-face communications (223). In other words, the devices have dominated peoples free time. For instance, people who previously spent their leisure time reading books are now playing games on their devices while others who used their free time to learn a new language are now concentrating more on worthless websites where they spend hours. The loss of attention to the devices can also be interpreted to imply peoples distraction from their colleagues. This is demonstrated when a break occurs in a conversation causing people to pull out their devices instead of waiting in the silence. In some instances, people are eagerly waiting for such a moment in order to have a look at their devices for news updates and messages which may be taken by some as a lack of attention.

The fact that the devices have created an environment where everyone with the device can always have access to a given individual also has downsides despite being considered beneficial. While the sharing of personal details on these gadgets has led to more interaction and creating new friends, when it is overdone, it exposes users to unnecessary risks such as cyberbullying (Sarwar et al. 220). Therefore, the devices have made people overlook the significance of keeping some things private. In relation to accessibility, the devices bring about interruptions when one is busy with something and their friend starts a conversation on a less important issue over the smartphone. Therefore, the devices bring about distractions from important activities. In accordance with this Sarwar et al. state that the pressure arising from the need to be always available and responsive on these devices can lead to anxiety, decreased sleep quality or even depression (221). Additionally, the fact that devices support short and spontaneous conversations limits the development of peoples ability to form complete sentences and converse in complete thoughts (Sarwar et al. 222).

Further, the devices that are used by people today have contributed a lot to accidents including those involving cars, which can be termed as a serious health problem caused by these devices. Abu-Shanab et al. consider the negative effect that devices have on the health of human beings as one of the major drawbacks of the use of the devices (52). The negative influence of gadgets such as smartphones is evident on the roads at traffic light points whereby it takes people some time to start driving because most of them are staring at their devices instead of focusing on the road. In addition to traffic delays, this habit caused by the devices also leads to car accidents. According to Gowthami and Kumar, mobile devices are responsible for many of the accidents that occur in different places today (476). The authors argue that many people perform their daily tasks and drive while using their devices. Talking on the phone while driving is considered a high risk as an individual is forced to give attention to the call and the road simultaneously.

Research has also revealed that the use of devices for extended periods of time and on a daily basis might result in serious health problems such as mental health issues (Gowthami and Kumar 476). In support of this, Abu-Shanab et al. also argue that the prolonged use of these devices can result in headache problems, eye strain as well as unnecessary anxiety arising from the flow of calls, messages, and news (53). Other health issues linked to the use of devices as given by Abu-Shanab et al. include the hearing problems due to continuous calling, finger problems due to prolonged use of keypads, lack of sleep, and the loss of appetite as a result of being too much occupied with the devices (53). The finger problems and eye strain can be attributed to the small size of the devices for peoples fingers and eyes. Sarwar et al. also hold that the topic about the ability of prolonged use of devices to cause cancer still remains controversial with some people arguing that the radiation from these devices can lead to cancer development (220).

In conclusion, as demonstrated herein, there many ways in which devices are ruining the lives of people. Some of them include making it difficult for people to be where they are, taking away peoples attention, increased vulnerability to cyberbullying as a result of sharing too much personal information, increased accidents as well as health problems such as eye strain, headaches, anxiety, and anxiety. These are more than enough reasons as to why devices are ruining peoples lives despite the advantages that the devices offer to the comfort and welfare of people. Based on this, it is advisable to have people educated on how to appropriately use their devices to avoid the negative impacts that the gadgets can have on their lives and thus enable users to safely take advantage of the exciting technology.

Bibliography

Abu-Shanab, Emad, and Eman Haddad. "The influence of smart phones on human health and behavior: jordanians Perceptions." International Journal of Computer Networks and Applications 2.2 (2015): 52-56.

Gowthami, S., and S. V. K. Kumar. "Impact of smartphone: A pilot study on positive and negative effects." International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science (IJSEAS) 2.3 (2016): 473-478.

Sarwar, Muhammad, and Tariq Rahim Soomro. "Impact of Smartphones on Society." European journal of scientific research 98.2 (2013): 216-226.