Julie Pacenka- According to Psychology Today, nomophobia is described as “the fear of being without a mobile device, or beyond mobile phone contact” (Elmore). Now that we are in the millennium age, technology has taken over, but specifically the smartphone is our society's greatest weakness. According to Pew Research Center, “92% of 18-29 year olds say they own a smartphone”(Rainie and Perrin). Also, it was stated by Psychology Today that, “the typical smartphone user interacts with their phone around 85 times per day” (Akbari). An anonymous poll was taken by students from Sutton High School, and it stated that 81.8% of students bring their phone everywhere they go. The constant worry over a phone starts to encroach upon our emotions and experiences.
One of the most commonly used tools on a smartphone is the camera. Years worth of pictures can be stored and accessed at any time with just a few clicks. This may be revolutionary, but it also may be one of human natures greatest fears. Now that taking pictures or videos are so easy, people do it constantly. Wherever they go, they must takes pictures. Now don't get me wrong, it is good to have a reminder of such great memories. But are you experiencing your surroundings yourself, or through your phone?
At concerts, you see millions of little lights all around you. Before cell phones, people would wave lighters in the air to applaud the artist. Now, those lighters have been replaced by phone lights. The lights are usually either from flashlights or people recording the concert with their phones. But if you are constantly recording the concert, you are watching it through your phone, and not really experiencing yourself. If you’re so worried about getting videos for later or to post on social media, then you cannot truly take in the experience.
Social medias have become so extensive that they influence our actions. Many people behave a certain way specifically to be posted on a social media platform. The phrase “do it for the vine” was commonly heard a few years back when Vine, a social media app specifically for videos, was popular. Even though Vine no longer exists, the incentive still lives on with many other forms of social media, such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, etc. The poll taken by Sutton High School students, stated that 92.6% of students had social media and 60.5% said they go on it more than 10 times a day. Teenagers today are so obsessed with checking and uploading their feeds, that if they don't post about it then it didn't even happen. Everywhere people go, they must post about it to show off to the world. They create an incentive for people to visit places just to post about it. So are you doing it because you want to or because you want to impress everyone else?
When a Sutton High School student was responding to how social media affected their life they said “Negative because it has made me compare myself to other people constantly instead of accepting myself for who I am”. We can remake our lives online to make them look more appealing to others. This is unhealthy because we should not be seeking for others to validate our lives, we should live them the way we want to.
Think about it. When you were little, what did you do for entertainment? Many people answer with their favorite toy, game, or even an imaginary friend. But now what do you see younger children playing with? Same goes with teenagers today. People used to go over to each other's houses to see them and physically interact with them. Now, people go and sit side by side while scrolling through their phones. People act as if technology controls them, but really we control the technology. We are pushing the buttons and making the decisions. Everyone has a choice. Try putting your phone down and experiencing the world. Don't live your life through your phone.
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