Cell Phone Effects
on Society
Cell phones are very useful in today's society. It is reassuring to know that when you are in your automobile and the car breaks down or you are in an accident or you left the grocery list at home, you'll be able to reach someone to help. Everyone is so busy; it seems as though mobile phones are the only way to cope with the chaos. Cell phones definitely affect our society, sometimes negatively and sometimes positively.
Availability
Knowing that you can reach your loved ones and friends by just the touch of a button is important. If you need someone in an emergency, it is great to know that you can reach her no matter where she is, whether she is hiking in a forest miles from home or sitting in a church service with her cell phone ready to vibrate if an emergency occurs.
Distraction
Cell phones can be a huge distraction. Teen-agers and middle-school children seem to feel that if they are awake, they should be texting someone on their cell phones. New rules have to be applied in families. You must constantly remind your children that cell phone usage is not allowed at the dinner table and during family time.
Cell phone usage is almost epidemic in our society. People seem unable to walk down the street or sit outside enjoying the sunshine without speaking or texting on their cell phones.
Many people argue that talking on a cell phone while driving is not any more disruptive than carrying on a casual conversation with an occupant of the vehicle. According to the American Automobile Association, the driver may not be distracted by a lighthearted, casual conversation, but he may be paying less attention to his driving if the conversation is intense, such as during a business conversation or an argument with someone.
Disrespect
Cell phones can be a detriment, for instance, when you are enjoying a dinner out with friends you have not seen in a while. Your dinner partners construe the ringing of your cell phone and the fact that you answer it or text someone as rude.
A cell phone that is constantly ringing or vibrating in your pocket is a huge distraction. You simply cannot call up every friend or family member and instruct him or her that for the next few hours, you will be busy and should not be called. The time needed to do this would be ridiculous. You never know when a phone call will be an urgent matter, or if it is just someone calling to tell you the latest gossip. This causes cell phone users to leave their phones on and available at all times.
Sometimes you intend to keep the phone conversation brief, and before you know it, you have chatted for five or 10 minutes. Even this short amount of time will give the person you are with a bad feeling while he sits there twiddling his thumbs waiting for you to finish your call. Or it might make him think he should get up and leave the table or area because it might be a personal phone call. Either way, he feels neglected and abandoned.
Tags: cell phone, casual conversation, Cell Phone, Cell Phone Effects, Cell phones