Analyzing the Effects of Cell Phones on Communication

This essay examines the multifaceted effects of cell phones on communication in the modern era. It delves into the positive aspects, such as enhanced connectivity through calls, messaging, and social media, which provide access to information and enable instant communication. However, it also explores the negative consequences, including the potential for addiction, mental health risks, and the erosion of face-to-face interactions. The essay references articles from sources like The New York Times, Forbes, and Bloomberg to support its arguments. The essay concludes that, while cell phones offer undeniable benefits, responsible usage is crucial to mitigate the potential harms. The assignment follows APA format, including an introduction, body paragraphs with cited research, and a conclusion.

EFFECTS OF CELL PHONE ON COMMUNICATION 1
Effects of cell phone on communication
Student Name:
Student ID:
Institution:

EFFECTS OF CELL PHONE ON COMMUNICATION 2
Introduction
The effect of cell phone in modern daily life is becoming part and parcel of human living.
Present version of cell phone gives enough opportunity to people by providing different
services in communicating. The modes of communicating consist of talking over phone,
sending text through messages, accessing social media to be updated with the current
trend of modern issues and personal interaction with individual or group of people. As a
result of such deliverance by the device, cell phone proves to be an unavoidable part of
human life for communication.
Positive impact of cell phone
Cell phone has become a boon to human being through the deliverance of its service.
The cell phone extends different level of services like communication through talking,
messaging, connecting through social media and availing of necessary information
required to live in present circumstances. Through this device, people are connected
with outer world by accessing facebook, whatsapp, and twitter etc., known as latest
module of social media. Through these media, people get connected with knowledge of
latest development in different issues, and have the scope to extend their own reaction
about those issues.
In the article The Phones We Love Too Much, published in the New York Times by
Lesley Alderman dated 2nd May, 2017, it is emphasized that, due to the present role of
cell phone, human being gets addicted every time to cell phone with or without any
reason. (Alderman, 2017) The use of cell phone is the cause of deterioration of personal
relationship in face-to-face interaction. Even people of same family like to communicate

EFFECTS OF CELL PHONE ON COMMUNICATION 3
to other members through cell phone only, defying the need of personal interaction in
physical mode. As a result, cell phone is stealing the basic concept of human
relationship, although its role as mode of communication cannot be denied in present
human relationship.
In the article “Mobile: A Trend That Is Reshaping Communication” by Daniel Newman
published in Forbes on 27th May, 2014, the importance of cell phone was emphasized
from the viewpoint of present human behavior. In his article, he had reiterated certain
statistics in respect of its usage. 99% users of cell phone use the web browsers of their
choice regularly on daily basis; 91% user of cell phone use to keep the device within
their close accessible proximity to follow latest communication in whichever form
available; most users of cell phone use to get connected with the outer world through
this device to access their e-mails and find different necessary information through
latest apps to make their life easier. (Newman, 2014)
Negative Impact of Cell Phone
It is often found that the gradual use of cell phone cause different level of risks to
human being. The risks may be related to mental health or relationship risks. In the
article “Phone Addiction Is Real- And So are Its Mental Health Risks” written by Alice G.
Walton, as published in the Forbes on 11th December, 2017, the author had
emphasized on the mental health risks related to gradual increased use of cell phone by
younger generation. It is observed that the addiction of using cell phone is increasing in
last five years, as per data found in Google trend with close trailing of “social media
addiction”. Addiction to cell phone and social media is interconnected for young people
and these are responsible to make them isolated by living in the virtual world defying the

EFFECTS OF CELL PHONE ON COMMUNICATION 4
existence and need of associating with real world. Different studies depict that this trend
of excessive dependence on cell phone make the users of young generation more
addictive, which, in turn, causes more risks of mental health. Further studies highlighted
the trend of depression and subsequent suicidal attempts in the teenagers’ community
in recent period. The study of CDC observed that there is steady rise on this issue for
the period 2010 to 2015. Main affected community is girls for the risks of mental health.
The resultant increases of suicidal attempts are enhanced by 65% during this period;
while the enhancement of severe mental depression for girls increased by 58%.
(Walton, 2017)
In the article “How Smartphones and Social media Can Steal Childhood” published in
the Bloomberg on 4th May, 2018 by Giles Turner, it is emphasized that the latest trend of
sharing personal life and own observations in the social media with the peers and other
associates by teenagers makes them more prone to isolated living for sharing their
views and lessons. (Turner, 2018)
Conclusion
Like all scientific inventions, cell Phones have their positive and negative impacts. On
the positive side, the device can provide most convenient and fastest way to the human
being of present era to be connected with the outer world by communicating through
calls or social media. On the negative side, excessive use of such device can cause
disaster for the user, if not used sensibly.

EFFECTS OF CELL PHONE ON COMMUNICATION 5
References
Alderman, L. (2017, May 2). The Phones We Love Too Much. The New York Times .
Newman, D. (2014, May 27). A Trend That is Reshaping Communication. Forbes .
Turner, G. (2018, December 11). How Smartphones and Social media Can Steal
Childhood. Bloomberg .
Walton, A. G. (2017, December 11). Phone Addiction Is Real -- And So Are Its Mental
Health Risks. Forbes .