Detrimental Effects of Excessive Use of Mobile Phones on Society

This paper discusses the negative impact of excessive use of mobile phones on society, including health, education, business, and social impact. It also provides recommendations to combat this addiction.

Running head: Social Research
Social Research
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION:..........................................................................................................................2
PURPOSE OF STATEMENT:........................................................................................................2
RESEARCH QUESTIONS:............................................................................................................2
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................3
METHODOLOGY:.........................................................................................................................3
RESULTS:.......................................................................................................................................3
DISCUSSION:.................................................................................................................................4
EDUCATION:.............................................................................................................................4
BUSINESS:.................................................................................................................................4
HEALTH:....................................................................................................................................4
SOCIAL IMPACT:......................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS:...........................................................................5
REERENCES:.................................................................................................................................6

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INTRODUCTION:
Mobile phones are an integral part of the daily life of an individual. In a study conducted
by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Saudi Arabia ranked first
amongst the gulf countries as having the highest proportion of mobile users, followed by Oman
Kuwait and UAE respectively (Jones, 2014). One should curtail the excessive use of mobile
phones, as it is detrimental to one’s health. The purpose of this paper is to show how an
excessive use of mobile phones has a detrimental effect on people living in a society and
recommend measures to combat this addiction. The individuals who participated in this research
tried to compare the positive and negative impacts of mobile phones in society.
PURPOSE OF STATEMENT:
Mobile phones are an intrinsic part of the life of an individual but excessive use of mobile
phones has a detrimental effect on human beings.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
1. How much time do you spend on your mobile phone every day?
2. What are the positive and negative aspects of using a mobile phone?
3. How do cell phone radiations have an adverse effect on the human health?
4. How do cell phones affect children?

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LITERATURE REVIEW
Mobile phones have a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system of an individual,
have an adverse effect on sleep patterns of an individual and negatively affect the cognitive
functions of a person. It has a potential to cause genotoxicity, lead to tumour induction, cause
parotid gland tumours, leukamia, neurohormonal secretion and has an adverse effect on male
fertility (Jones, 2014).
METHODOLOGY:
Information was obtained by interviewing a group of students from various universities
and their families. The participants were asked on how the use of mobile phones affected their
lives. The interviewers consisted of sixty individuals. The views of the participants were taken
into consideration and they filled in a questionnaire each indicating how the use of mobile
phones have affected them and society in general. The results on how mobile phone usage has
affected them and society positively and negatively were averaged and given in percentage.
RESULTS:
Effects of Addiction of Mobile Phones in
Society
Percentage (%)
Positive Effects 45
Negative Effects 55

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DISCUSSION:
EDUCATION: Mobile phones are often employed as tools for education and are also
used for distance learning but they also lead to distraction among students. Inside a classroom,
students often do not pay attention to what is being taught in class by a teacher and instead tends
to message, play games and sometimes even call others. This leads to distraction in class. Text
messaging can also aid a student to cheat in an exam. The camera on a mobile phone can be used
to photograph another student in a way that violates his or her privacy. The ringing of phones in
a classroom disturbs the attention of other students and disrupts the flow of lessons (Pugh, 2017).
BUSINESS: Mobile phones have a positive effect on businesses. Individuals through
mobile phones can make long distance conferences calls, make quick and efficient sales, keep
track of field staff, and reduce their operating costs. Mobile phones can help in making working
hours flexible. Business can go green by using mobile phones as it helps in a lesser dependency
on paper and energy (Jones, 2014). Mobile phones speeds the process of banking and making
payments. Mobile phones also help to reach millions of customers through target text messages
thereby helping in marketing and selling of products.
HEALTH: Mobile phones radiate radio frequency energy, which could possibly be
carcinogenic in nature. Studies have also established a correlation between excessive use of
mobile phones and changes in reaction times, sleep patterns and brain activity. Children have a
higher risk of being afflicted with brain cancer from the radiations emitted by mobile phone than
adults because their nervous system is still at a developing stage (Jones, 2014). Thus, one should
curtail the excessive use of mobile phones.

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SOCIAL IMPACT: Mobile phones have made it easier for people to stay in touch. It
also helps in communication. Mobile phones also help one to network and build new contacts.
One is also able to be aware of what is happening around oneself. Mobile phones are also used
for recreational purposes such as listening to music, networking with friends and playing video
games during one’s leisure time. However sometimes people tend to spend a lot of time on their
phones which could have been used for something more productive. Talking on mobile phones is
also one of the leading causes behind road accidents and road death (Pugh, 2017).
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
The mobile phone is designed to enable fast effective communication, build relationships
and get people closer. It also improve business productivity. In order to prevent getting
addictive, one should use mobile phones only when it is necessary. One should never answer or
make a call while driving because that not only implies putting one’s own life to risk but also
risks the life of others.
Governments of all countries should make it mandatory that cell phone companies
manufacture and sell mobile phones that work only with headsets. Then individuals would have
to use wired or other hands-free devices to use headphones with the result being that mobile
phones would be kept away from their heads. One should use hands-free devices, which places a
lot of distance between the head of the user and the phone. This is because it reduces the strength
of the harmful electro-magnetic radiation emitted by the phone. One should monitor screen time
of children to prevent them from the harmful effects of an excessive use of technology. One
should not sleep with their mobile phones powered on because research shows that sleep is
disturbed by radiation, which leads to sleeping disorders, fatigue etc. Pregnant women should

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also limit their use of mobile phones as radiation emitted by mobile phones may cause damage to
the reproductive system and the brain during the period of pregnancy.

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REERENCES:
Demirci, K., Akgönül, M., & Akpinar, A. (2015). Relationship of smartphone use severity with
sleep quality, depression, and anxiety in university students. Journal of behavioral
addictions, 4(2), 85-92.
Goswami, V., & Singh, D. R. (2016). Impact of mobile phone addiction on adolescent’s life: A
literature review. Int J Home Sci, 2(1), 69-74.
Jones, T. (2014). Students’ cell phone addiction and their opinions. Elon J Undergrad Res
Commun, 5, 74-80.
Pugh, S. (2017). Investigating the relationship between smartphone addiction, social anxiety,
self-esteem, age & gender.
Roberts, J. A., Pullig, C., & Manolis, C. (2015). I need my smartphone: A hierarchical model of
personality and cell-phone addiction. Personality and Individual Differences, 79, 13-19.
Roberts, J., Yaya, L., & Manolis, C. (2014). The invisible addiction: Cell-phone activities and
addiction among male and female college students. Journal of behavioral
addictions, 3(4), 254-265.

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