The Impact of Smartphone Addiction on Human Health

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IS SMARTPHONES AND CELL PHONE ADDICTION A
DISEASE, WHICH AFFECT HUMANS?
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Executive summary
In the entire discussion, it is found that Smartphone addiction can be considered as the major
disease for the human being. Various diseases are identified such as cancer, brain tumour, neck
pain and others. Due to the usage of Smartphone, children do not want to communicate with
others and most of the people are suffering from Phantom Phone Syndrome. In the report, a
discussion has been made that shows different information regarding the procedures of
conducting successful secondary research at certain extension. Moreover, the success rate as well
as criteria of using secondary research for evaluating the negative impacts of smart phone has
also been discussed at the report.
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Background information..................................................................................................................5
Discussion of research method........................................................................................................6
Discussion of research findings and results.....................................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
Evaluation of the success of research method.................................................................................9
Reference list.................................................................................................................................11
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Introduction
The meticulous report will be based into assessing the results and conclusions of the previous
research, which is based into analysing whether cell phone as well as smartphone addiction is a
human disease or not. In order to structure the report, some background information regarding
the stated problem will be discussed extensively. Moreover, research method that was being
considered for completing the first assignment will also be evaluated at the study. Concluding
evidences that has been gathered by the research findings of the previous research will also be
evaluated at the study. Lastly, an evaluation will also be made that will show the success criteria
of the chosen research method at certain extension.
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Background information
From different recent instances, it has been found that people in recent context are extensively
obsessed with using smart phones as well as other cell phones as these are the primary
equipments for making continuous communication with people from every other corner of the
world. However, Samaha and Hawi (2016) described that in recent instance smart phones are not
only using making communication with other people, but also is using for other things as well.
Therefore, more and more people are getting obsessed with using smartphone and other kinds of
phones for daily usage at certain extension. As per the consideration of Gökçearslan et al.
(2016), cell phone addiction can negatively affect the health related problems of a bunch of
different people belonging from different functional, financial as well as cultural background.
From a range of different instances, it is being observed that extensive usage of smartphone or
any other cell phone has the ability of increasing the overall stress as well as depression level of
humans. However, Soror et al. (2015) described that most of the people in recent context is
getting obsessed with using smart phones for different facilities of internet. Therefore, it can be
stretched out that not only smart phones, but also extensive usage of internet is bringing out
discrepancy at human minds as well as behaviours. Extensive usage of smart phones might cause
a level of anxiety from the perspective of human minds, which also creates some level of
problem.
Extensive usages of smart phones are also increasing the level of narcissism, which also
negatively affect human minds at certain extension. Moreover, in addition to different types of
psychological problem, over usage of smart phones are also affecting human health negatively.
According to Van Deursen et al. (2015), smart phones generally generate electromagnetic waves
for its overall functionality, which negatively affect human brain and it also brings out neck and
back pain. Smart phones are generally the source of emitting treacherous electromagnetic waves,
which affect brain tissues directly. However, some of the smartphone organisations are radically
decreasing the emission of electromagnetic waves from their newly designed smart phones for
decreasing its negative impacts. Nevertheless, they are not quite successful in the context as it is
impossible for any smartphone organisation to completely reduce the generation of
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electromagnetic waves, which is the basic reason behind a bunch of different health related
problems.
Moreover, it has also been observed that extensive usages of smartphone are disrupting and
limiting different individuals to make social contacts with their friends as well as families. As per
the description of Soror et al. (2015), since smartphones are increasing the obsession level of
different individuals in recent perspective, it might buy different types of individuals towards any
kind of phobia. It will disrupt their entire process as well as procedures of making social
connection with others. Therefore, it can be identified that over usage of smart phones might also
bring out mental health related risks from the perspective of its users. The rate of different social
media website users are continuously increasing due to the over usage of smartphones, which
sometimes lead towards extensive as well as meticulous mental health related problem at certain
extension.
Discussion of research method
Secondary research can be illustrated as such a method that extensively uses already derived data
for making the conclusion of any form of research topic. In secondary research method, different
forms of existing data are generally being collected as well as summarised for evaluating as well
as increasing the entire usefulness of any research subjective.
Secondary research mainly involves different research materials as well as subjective that has
been published earlier in some form of article, essay or report format. The documents for
conducting secondary research can be gathered from different websites, public libraries and other
places. Secondary research data can also be derived though the help of previously completed
survey (Rothwell et al., 2019). Moreover, it has also been observed that secondary research data
can also be found through the assistance of different non-government as well as governmental
agencies as these types of agencies mostly store different forms of data and information that can
be used in future context.
Most of the researcher in recent context is opted towards making secondary research since it is
being observed that the precise research method is quite cost as well as time effective while
compared with primary research. Secondary research methods can also be derived through the
help of different educational institutes as educational institutes generally inherit a lot of
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information as well as data regarding diverse research subjective. In different universities as well
as colleges, different types of researches are generally being done by their professors, lecturers as
well as students. Therefore, requesting research data from universities as well as colleges can act
as a greater source of making secondary research.
Not only previously published journals, articles, reports or educational institutes and
nongovernment and government agencies, but also local newspapers as well as magazines, TV
and radio stations also act as greater source of gathering secondary research data (Ploug and
Holm, 2015).
Discussion of research findings and results
From the entire discussion, it has been found that smart phone and cell phone addiction can be
considered as a disease, which can affect the human beings. As commented by Pearson and
Hussain (2016), people use smart phones excessively due to the facility of accessing internet and
through internet; they are able to get all things in the grasp of their hand. At present, internet
makes the communication process easier and fast, which becomes the reason of the
psychological disorder to the people. Through cell phones and smart phones, people are always
active on social media such as facebook, twitter and with which they can communicate to known
or unknown people and can observe their activities through their posts.
Hence, if an individual is not able to enjoy their life with luxurious materials, by seeing the posts
of others, the person can feel depressed and it affects the individual’s health. On the other hand,
due to availability of internet connection, options related to entertainment such as watching
movies, playing games are available and as a result, people become narcissistic and overuse of
Smartphone ruins their relationship with others (Lin and Huang, 207). Hence, it can be deduced
that excessive usage of Smartphone not only affects the relationship with people, but also, it is
the one of the reasons of the people’s isolation.
As per the viewpoint of Miakotko (2017), due to the overuse of Smartphone of cell phone,
health diseases are also monitored such as cancer, brain disease, neck pain and VDTS (Visual
display terminal syndrome). It is found that the radiation of electromagnetic wave of cell phones
or smart phones affects the brain of people and in UK, between 1990-2016, number of mobile
users, suffering brain tumour, is increased around 36% (cancerresearchuk.org, 2017). The
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radiation of electromagnetic waves is harmful for the human body as non-ionizing components
are there in those radiations, which can create cancerous cells in human body. Apart from that,
people always focus on the screen of the cell phones or smart phones, which creates the disease
related to VDTS. It is evident that in UK, around 6% of mobile users suffering from dry-eye
disease as most of the time they spend with their Smartphone (express.co.uk, 2019). Therefore, it
is clear that gap of knowledge and excessive addiction to Smartphone reduces the lifestyle
standard of people by creating health and mental diseases.
On the other hand, reporters of Guardian focused on the mental illness due to the excessive use
of Smartphone (theguardian.com, 2018). It is found that people can communicate with the others
easily and they are able to know the activities of others through internet even without
communicating with that specific human being. For evidence, it is observed that after breaking
up, the people are able to stalk the beloved through internet, which ruins the mental stability.
Due to having this facility, number of people, suffering from depression, is increased. In UK, due
to depression, around 28% of people committed suicide and it indicates the disadvantages of
using Smartphone (yp.scmp.com, 2019).
It is found that children use Smartphone for playing video games and though it is the way of
their entertainment, it gives birth of the eye disease at the very early age (forbes.com, 2017). Due
to excessive use of this device, the children are more active in social media and in society, which
decreases their communication power. Anxiety is one of the presentations for extremely usage of
Smartphone as people all kind of information receives through phone such as credit card issue,
lack of balance in account and many others. If they leave their Smartphone at home or office,
people have to think how to spend their day. Smartphone ruins the relationship with people and
people feel isolated day by day, as they cannot express their problem properly.
Psychologists of present era have stated that most of the people are suffering from Phantom
Phone Syndrome and an online report has mentioned that around 90% of people are suffering
from this disorder due to overuse of cell phones (independent.co.uk, 2019). Therefore, it has
been identified that Smartphone addiction is the major disease for the human being and it
reduces people’s concentration on their daily life activities.
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Conclusion
While evaluating the entire study, it can be concluded that the usage rate of smartphones are
raising at a continuous manner and it is resulting into disrupting human health as well as
psychological minds at certain extension. Moreover, it can also be concluded that smartphones
are the reason behind disrupted social connection among different individuals since it limits them
from being socially active. Moreover, it can also conclude that secondary research method is
effectively useful towards finding out research outcomes while having limited time as well as
resources at certain extension. Moreover, it can also conclude that mental illness is rising at a
consistent manner due to over usage of smartphone.
Evaluation of the success of research method
The secondary research method has been extremely helpful towards gathering fruitful
information regarding the negative effects of smartphone and cell phones into the mind as well
as health of different individuals. From the perspective of the research study, it can be derived
that secondary research is extremely useful towards gathering information for finding out the
negative effects of overusing smartphone and cell phones into the body as well as mind of
different individuals (Johnston, 2017). While using secondary research method, it is extensively
easy for any researcher to gather information regarding the negative side effects of smart phones
as there are many online as well as offline documents regarding the problem subjective. In
addition to that, secondary research is extremely useful for evaluating the project problem.
Psychological, mental as well as health related issues that might be derived from over using
smartpohones can be evaluates though secondary research. Therefore, it can be stated that
secondary research methods are quite successful towards making the outcomes of the research.
In addition to that, since secondary data is based into previously published information and data,
any researcher can maintain the authenticity as well as accountability of their research while
using secondary research method. However, data should only be collected from authentic
publishers and resources since there is a chance that some previously published data and
information are not optimised (Ellram and Tate, 2016). Collecting secondary data from
unauthentic sources might lead towards indistinctive representation of research data and
information, which might conflict research outcomes at certain extension. Therefore, it is being
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highly suggested to use only authentic sources such as library or different colleges as well as
universities for collecting data as well as information. Moreover, exploration of secondary data is
needed to be done in an exact format or otherwise it might disrupt the overall research outcomes.
In the specific research, different secondary sources regarding the over usage of smartphones has
been gathered from authentic sources only. Therefore, the overall research quality has not been
degraded.
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Reference list
cancerresearchuk.org 2017, Number of Mobile users suffering from Brain Tumor, Available at:
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/cancer-controversies/mobile-
phones-wifi-and-power-lines [Accessed on: 12 July 2019]
Ellram, L.M. and Tate, W.L., 2016. The use of secondary data in purchasing and supply
management (P/SM) research. Journal of purchasing and supply management, 22(4), pp.250-
254.
express.co.uk 2019, Dry eye disease, Available at:
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/705313/dry-eye-sydrome-itchy-red-irriated-
conjunctivitis-treatment [Accessed on: 12 July 2019]
forbes.com 2017, Mental Health Risks, Available at:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2017/12/11/phone-addiction-is-real-and-so-are-its-
mental-health-risks/#36881af313df [Accessed on: 12 July 2019]
Gökçearslan, Ş., Mumcu, F.K., Haşlaman, T. and Çevik, Y.D., 2016. Modelling smartphone
addiction: The role of smartphone usage, self-regulation, general self-efficacy and cyberloafing
in university students. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, pp.639-649.
independent.co.uk 2019, Phantom Phone Syndrome, Available at:
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/phantom-vibration-
syndrome-up-to-90-per-cent-of-people-suffer-phenomenon-while-mobile-phone-is-in-
a6804631.html [Accessed on: 12 July 2019]
Johnston, M.P., 2017. Secondary data analysis: A method of which the time has
come. Qualitative and quantitative methods in libraries, 3(3), pp.619-626.
Lin, M.I.B. and Huang, Y.P., 2017. The impact of walking while using a smartphone on
pedestrians’ awareness of roadside events. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 101, pp.87-96.
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Miakotko, L., 2017. The impact of smartphones and mobile devices on human health and
life. New York University [Online Journal][diunduh 2 Oktober 2018]. Tersedia dari:
https://www. nyu. edu/classes/keefer/waoe/miakotkol. pdf.
Pearson, C. and Hussain, Z., 2016. Smartphone addiction and associated psychological factors.
Ploug, T. and Holm, S., 2015. Meta consent: a flexible and autonomous way of obtaining
informed consent for secondary research. Bmj, 350, p.h2146.
Rothwell, E., Johnson, E., Riches, N. and Botkin, J.R., 2019. Secondary research uses of residual
newborn screening dried bloodspots: a scoping review. Genetics in Medicine, 21(7), p.1469.
Samaha, M. and Hawi, N.S., 2016. Relationships among smartphone addiction, stress, academic
performance, and satisfaction with life. Computers in Human Behavior, 57, pp.321-325.
Soror, A.A., Hammer, B.I., Steelman, Z.R., Davis, F.D. and Limayem, M.M., 2015. Good habits
gone bad: Explaining negative consequences associated with the use of mobile phones from a
dual‐systems perspective. Information Systems Journal, 25(4), pp.403-427.
theguardian.com 2018, Breakup habit, Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jan/27/mobile-phone-addiction-apps-break-the-
habit-take-back-control [Accessed on: 12 July 2019]
Van Deursen, A.J., Bolle, C.L., Hegner, S.M. and Kommers, P.A., 2015. Modeling habitual and
addictive smartphone behavior: The role of smartphone usage types, emotional intelligence,
social stress, self-regulation, age, and gender. Computers in human behavior, 45, pp.411-420.
yp.scmp.com 2019, Depression rate of UK people, Available at:
https://yp.scmp.com/news/features/article/108242/mobile-phones-linked-anxiety-and-severe-
depression-teens [Accessed on: 12 July 2019]
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