The Adverse Effects of Mobile phones in our Lives

Smart phones and mobile phones have revolutionized the world in so many ways. From staying connected to family and friends, to accessing the internet and apps, mobile phones have made the world a smaller place. Even though these phones have revolutionized so many aspects of our lives, there are some unintended consequences of them as well. Whether reading or not reading a phone screen out in the open, or talking without privacy, there are a few things we all struggle with on a daily basis.

In today’s world, where we are constantly connected, it is difficult to go a few hours without checking our phones. Having that constant connection with the outside world has its perks, but it also comes with its share of difficulties as well. Though, no matter how much we struggle, we all seem to adjust to the new-age technology.

Over-sharing

Ever had that conversation with a friend or a family member, where you have gotten a bit emotional and have revealed a lot of your inner thoughts? Or that time you had a fight with your partner and wanted to get it out? The most common struggle when it comes to being connected is over-sharing. We tend to post more than we think we should. It is easy to share a few photos with your friends online, but we also tend to share more than we would like to. We often post screenshots of our conversations or comments without realizing it, which can easily be misconstrued by the wrong people.

Distraction

We all love to play games, browse the web, or read social media. But, do we ever stop to think how much time we are wasting on these? How many hours have we spent obsessing over a social media post, or checking out the latest game? Or how many times have we come across that sensational Instagram photo, and just can’t help but scroll down?

We all love to be entertained, but these activities can become distractions that take our attention away from what we need to be doing. This can be a problem especially if it happens often.

FOMO

This has become an epidemic since the word got out about how often we take photos and post them on social media, and how many people seem to be doing the same. The word ‘fomo’ means the fear of missing out, which is exactly what happens when we see the photos that are posted by our friends and family members.

Incognito search

This happens when we try to search something in the internet and end up searching things unrelated to what we were originally looking for. This is also a result of being distracted from the original task. We try to look up something else, only to end up getting into our unwanted searches. This can happen when we try to look something up on our phones, while reading it out loud, or while someone is trying to talk to us.

Reading while on the move

This happens when we try to read a book, while travelling on the metro or while waiting in a queue. We try to do it discreetly, only to end up attracting a lot of attention. We try to be discreet because we cannot resist checking our phones every now and then, and the light from the screen might be visible from outside. This might get us into trouble, or attract unwanted attention from the people around us.

Time wasting

This one is self-explanatory. We try to focus on the things that are important, while spending a lot of time browsing social media, or playing games. This is not a good thing and can be very harmful. This is because, we are not focusing on what we need to be doing, which is leading a better life. This can also be a result of over-sharing or distraction.

With the amount of time we save while setting reminders and alarms on our phones, we often find it difficult to take out our phones when we are out with friends or family. These people often end up spending time on phone screens while they are trying to have a conversation with someone.

Bury your head in the sand

When it comes to our phones, we often try to bury our heads in the sand. This happens when we try to ignore the issues, or try to ignore the thought of not using our phones. This is counterproductive, and is not going to help us at all. Instead, we should try to be as aware as possible. This can help us stay grounded and aware of the world around us, which is a very good thing.

Summing up

In this article, we have looked at a few of the struggles that we face as a result of being connected on our phones. It can be easy for us to get carried away and forget about our responsibilities as human beings. The constant flow of information can be very addictive, and we can easily forget about the people in our lives, or the things we need to be doing. So, it is important to step back and be mindful of our surroundings, so that we can stay balanced and happy in life.