Final Research Essay
The introduction of the smartphone has changed the way our society functions in a mere decade. The debate about whether smartphones have an impact on society is long over and the answer is obvious, the debate has now focused on whether the impact is more positive or negative. Though the smartphone has made communication much easier, it has also created a less social society favors communication over the phone rather face to face (Ferren). I found this research topic interesting because I am one of many people that have grown up in the age of technology. The exigence of this paper is rooted in my interest in the future communication skills my generation and the impacts that smartphones have on not only myself but those around me. The purpose of this paper is to inform an audience about the impacts of smartphones on society, the purpose is not to persuade or convince. The smartphone has become so large and so ingrained in our society it has already began to leave it’s print, the nature of that print is unraveling currently and whether it will be positive or negative is still largely up for debate.
There is no argument that though smartphones have increased our availability of communication, every second spent on a phone is a second not spent observing the world and the “usage of these devices may be stealing the most valuable moments of life away” (Perlow). One of the most common arguments that support the idea that smartphones have a negative effect on society is the argument that smartphones have taken our focus away from everything from driving, to family, to our surroundings. Recently a video was released by a YouTuber by the name of Gary Turk. In the video the Turk performs a poem written about the parts of life missed while on a phone. The link to this video is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY . The video rely heavily on an appeal to Pathos, the content is emotional and convincing. Along the same line, another less serious and more humorous video about the same concept: missing life while on a phone. The link to this video is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINa46HeWg8 . As the impact of smartphones are furtherer analyzed, research has begun to show possible addictive qualities of smartphone and technology. In addition to the distractive qualities of smartphones, they can also increase the stress of work. The smartphone has increased our capability to communicate so much that it has, in turn, made it extremely difficult to escape from work and work related communications. The smartphone has blurred the line between work and family, with this new technology going home from work doesn’t always mean business is done for the day. Though texting and driving is not limited to smartphones, one of the most undisputable negative effects smartphones are having on society is the issue of texting and driving. Ever since the integration of smartphones into our daily lives, the distractions smartphones have were not limited to our free time. Texting and driving became a significant social problem after they began to be widely used. According to the graph below (esurance), texting and drive were linked to a significant amount of fatal car accidents. According to the posted graph, the number of smartphone users has more than doubled in the last few years. This rapid increase in the number of smartphone users has exaggerated all the effects of smartphones. As more and more people use smartphones, the effects –both positive and negative- will continue to become more relevant and obvious.
Like any invention, there is bound to be positive and negative effects. Though the smartphone has arguably hindered our social skills, increased distractions, and blurred the lines of work and family this technology has much to offer and can offer unparalleled conveniences that were unfathomable a short decade ago. Along with the modern smartphone, access to the internet has become readily available. In a world that fewer and fewer tasks need to be done in person, the smartphone allows us the do important things, such as banking and transactions with a touch of our finger (Kadlec). The new technology allows users to even cash checks from a smartphone, eliminating the need to travel to the bank and do it in person. Online banking from a smartphone is just one of many examples that prove that smartphone users are not just using technology to entertain themselves, but to do useful tasks.
In 2013, the marketing team at Apple released a commercial that reminded users of the original reason for a getting a phone: communication. The advisement portrays many situations, assumed long distance, that the iPhone and its video technology helps connect people. During the commercial, Apple does a wonderful job of depicting conversations over an iPhone that feel like the two people are talking in person. This commercial is an example of the amazing capability of smartphones to connect people who otherwise could never communicate. The link to this video is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu1jHtf_oUc .
The smartphone, like many technologies, originated in the business world. Though some argue that smartphones are allowing work to invade person lives, the technology and advancements in smartphones have truly changed the way business is conducted around the world. Before video technology, meeting across the world had to be attended in person. When video chat came along, it was not perfected and had to be done at a person computer. Today, a business meeting in between someone in China and someone In America can be done over a three inch by 5 inch smartphone in the comfort of a home. The ability to not only communicate, but to perform business meetings across the world without leaving your city is both amazing and incredibly efficient. The purchase of one smartphone could easily outweigh the traditional cost of a two way plane ticket across the world, lodging, and food expenses that a business meeting in in another county cots. In addition to the cost benefit of smartphones in the business world, they are also linked to increased productivity. A survey was one by an IT department “in the survey of over a thousand IT decision-makers, 74% indicated that using tablet computers and smartphones led to an increase in productivity in their organization while 25% of those said it has led to a significant increase” (Needle). The graph of the results can be found in the picture: The benefit of smartphones in the business world are not only convenient, but also extremely economical and efficient.
As the effects of smartphones on society continue to advance and be observed, it is unlikely that there will be clear evidence to support the fact that smartphone are either just positive or just negative. More likely is the outcome that we as a society will experience both positive and negative effects and the individuals will have to weigh the costs and benefits. If smartphones advance into a technology that the negative effects outweigh the benefits, we could become a society of anti-social, mundane, uninterested, and distracted citizens. If smartphones develop into a positive aspect of society, we could become more connected, more efficient, and more involved than we ever have before. The path we a society takes will largely be influenced by who we use this new technology as it becomes available. We live in the age of technology, we have more information available at our fingertips than our previous generations could have possibly imagined. What we choose to do with new inventions and technology is up to us; we could become a sea of robots, or become the most connected and enlightened society to ever exist on this earth.
Chen, Brian X. "The Smartphone Culture - Smartphones and Society." The Smartphone Culture - Smartphones and Society. Google Sites, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Darell, Richard. "The Impressive Effects Of Smartphones On Society [Infographic]." Bit Rebels RSS. Bit Rebels, 30 June 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Ferren, Bran. "How Much Impact Could Smartphones Have on Society? - Curiosity."Curiosity. Cuiosity, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Hiner, Jason. “Docking smartphones Will Be a Kay Part of Future, Say IT Pros.” TechRepublic. N.p., 1 Jine 2012. Web. 09 May 2014
"How Many People Use Smartphones in the World." Onbile Info. Onbile, 19 Oct. 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"I Forgot My Phone." YouTube. YouTube, 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
Kadlec, Dan. "Time.com." Business Money How Smart Phones Are Changing the Way We Bank Drive Have Sex and Go to the Bathroom Comments. TIME, 22 June 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Martin, Casey. "Column: Smartphones Are Ruining Society, but They're worth It - The Prescott Daily Courier - Prescott, Arizona." Column: Smartphones Are Ruining Society, but They're worth It - The Prescott Daily Courier - Prescott, Arizona. Courier Columnist, 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Needle, Dadiv. “IT Survey Shows Tablet Deployment Payoff Is Increased Productivity. TabTime. N.p., 16 May 2012. Web. 09 May 2014
Perlow, Jason. "Smartphones: Transforming Society into a Sea of Stupid." ZDNet. Tech Broiler, 26 Sept. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Poletti, Therese. "Are Smartphones a Menace to Society?" MarketWatch. N.p., 31 Oct. 2013.
Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Sager, Craig. "Before IPhone and Android Came Simon, the First Smartphone." Bloomberg Business Week. Bloomberg, 29 June 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"Smartphones Improvements: Positive and Negative Impact on Society." Alwaleed Al Afaliq. World Press, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Wallace, Brian. "How Smartphones Affect Society." Examiner.com. Louisville Online Media, 28 June 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Written By: Jack McCormick
The introduction of the smartphone has changed the way our society functions in a mere decade. The debate about whether smartphones have an impact on society is long over and the answer is obvious, the debate has now focused on whether the impact is more positive or negative. Though the smartphone has made communication much easier, it has also created a less social society favors communication over the phone rather face to face (Ferren). I found this research topic interesting because I am one of many people that have grown up in the age of technology. The exigence of this paper is rooted in my interest in the future communication skills my generation and the impacts that smartphones have on not only myself but those around me. The purpose of this paper is to inform an audience about the impacts of smartphones on society, the purpose is not to persuade or convince. The smartphone has become so large and so ingrained in our society it has already began to leave it’s print, the nature of that print is unraveling currently and whether it will be positive or negative is still largely up for debate.
There is no argument that though smartphones have increased our availability of communication, every second spent on a phone is a second not spent observing the world and the “usage of these devices may be stealing the most valuable moments of life away” (Perlow). One of the most common arguments that support the idea that smartphones have a negative effect on society is the argument that smartphones have taken our focus away from everything from driving, to family, to our surroundings. Recently a video was released by a YouTuber by the name of Gary Turk. In the video the Turk performs a poem written about the parts of life missed while on a phone. The link to this video is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY . The video rely heavily on an appeal to Pathos, the content is emotional and convincing. Along the same line, another less serious and more humorous video about the same concept: missing life while on a phone. The link to this video is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINa46HeWg8 . As the impact of smartphones are furtherer analyzed, research has begun to show possible addictive qualities of smartphone and technology. In addition to the distractive qualities of smartphones, they can also increase the stress of work. The smartphone has increased our capability to communicate so much that it has, in turn, made it extremely difficult to escape from work and work related communications. The smartphone has blurred the line between work and family, with this new technology going home from work doesn’t always mean business is done for the day. Though texting and driving is not limited to smartphones, one of the most undisputable negative effects smartphones are having on society is the issue of texting and driving. Ever since the integration of smartphones into our daily lives, the distractions smartphones have were not limited to our free time. Texting and driving became a significant social problem after they began to be widely used. According to the graph below (esurance), texting and drive were linked to a significant amount of fatal car accidents. According to the posted graph, the number of smartphone users has more than doubled in the last few years. This rapid increase in the number of smartphone users has exaggerated all the effects of smartphones. As more and more people use smartphones, the effects –both positive and negative- will continue to become more relevant and obvious.
Like any invention, there is bound to be positive and negative effects. Though the smartphone has arguably hindered our social skills, increased distractions, and blurred the lines of work and family this technology has much to offer and can offer unparalleled conveniences that were unfathomable a short decade ago. Along with the modern smartphone, access to the internet has become readily available. In a world that fewer and fewer tasks need to be done in person, the smartphone allows us the do important things, such as banking and transactions with a touch of our finger (Kadlec). The new technology allows users to even cash checks from a smartphone, eliminating the need to travel to the bank and do it in person. Online banking from a smartphone is just one of many examples that prove that smartphone users are not just using technology to entertain themselves, but to do useful tasks.
In 2013, the marketing team at Apple released a commercial that reminded users of the original reason for a getting a phone: communication. The advisement portrays many situations, assumed long distance, that the iPhone and its video technology helps connect people. During the commercial, Apple does a wonderful job of depicting conversations over an iPhone that feel like the two people are talking in person. This commercial is an example of the amazing capability of smartphones to connect people who otherwise could never communicate. The link to this video is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu1jHtf_oUc .
The smartphone, like many technologies, originated in the business world. Though some argue that smartphones are allowing work to invade person lives, the technology and advancements in smartphones have truly changed the way business is conducted around the world. Before video technology, meeting across the world had to be attended in person. When video chat came along, it was not perfected and had to be done at a person computer. Today, a business meeting in between someone in China and someone In America can be done over a three inch by 5 inch smartphone in the comfort of a home. The ability to not only communicate, but to perform business meetings across the world without leaving your city is both amazing and incredibly efficient. The purchase of one smartphone could easily outweigh the traditional cost of a two way plane ticket across the world, lodging, and food expenses that a business meeting in in another county cots. In addition to the cost benefit of smartphones in the business world, they are also linked to increased productivity. A survey was one by an IT department “in the survey of over a thousand IT decision-makers, 74% indicated that using tablet computers and smartphones led to an increase in productivity in their organization while 25% of those said it has led to a significant increase” (Needle). The graph of the results can be found in the picture: The benefit of smartphones in the business world are not only convenient, but also extremely economical and efficient.
As the effects of smartphones on society continue to advance and be observed, it is unlikely that there will be clear evidence to support the fact that smartphone are either just positive or just negative. More likely is the outcome that we as a society will experience both positive and negative effects and the individuals will have to weigh the costs and benefits. If smartphones advance into a technology that the negative effects outweigh the benefits, we could become a society of anti-social, mundane, uninterested, and distracted citizens. If smartphones develop into a positive aspect of society, we could become more connected, more efficient, and more involved than we ever have before. The path we a society takes will largely be influenced by who we use this new technology as it becomes available. We live in the age of technology, we have more information available at our fingertips than our previous generations could have possibly imagined. What we choose to do with new inventions and technology is up to us; we could become a sea of robots, or become the most connected and enlightened society to ever exist on this earth.
Chen, Brian X. "The Smartphone Culture - Smartphones and Society." The Smartphone Culture - Smartphones and Society. Google Sites, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Darell, Richard. "The Impressive Effects Of Smartphones On Society [Infographic]." Bit Rebels RSS. Bit Rebels, 30 June 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Ferren, Bran. "How Much Impact Could Smartphones Have on Society? - Curiosity."Curiosity. Cuiosity, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Hiner, Jason. “Docking smartphones Will Be a Kay Part of Future, Say IT Pros.” TechRepublic. N.p., 1 Jine 2012. Web. 09 May 2014
"How Many People Use Smartphones in the World." Onbile Info. Onbile, 19 Oct. 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"I Forgot My Phone." YouTube. YouTube, 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
Kadlec, Dan. "Time.com." Business Money How Smart Phones Are Changing the Way We Bank Drive Have Sex and Go to the Bathroom Comments. TIME, 22 June 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Martin, Casey. "Column: Smartphones Are Ruining Society, but They're worth It - The Prescott Daily Courier - Prescott, Arizona." Column: Smartphones Are Ruining Society, but They're worth It - The Prescott Daily Courier - Prescott, Arizona. Courier Columnist, 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Needle, Dadiv. “IT Survey Shows Tablet Deployment Payoff Is Increased Productivity. TabTime. N.p., 16 May 2012. Web. 09 May 2014
Perlow, Jason. "Smartphones: Transforming Society into a Sea of Stupid." ZDNet. Tech Broiler, 26 Sept. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Poletti, Therese. "Are Smartphones a Menace to Society?" MarketWatch. N.p., 31 Oct. 2013.
Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Sager, Craig. "Before IPhone and Android Came Simon, the First Smartphone." Bloomberg Business Week. Bloomberg, 29 June 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"Smartphones Improvements: Positive and Negative Impact on Society." Alwaleed Al Afaliq. World Press, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Wallace, Brian. "How Smartphones Affect Society." Examiner.com. Louisville Online Media, 28 June 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Written By: Jack McCormick