Fleming Law College Scholarship

Smartphones are basically computers at our fingertips. They can do astonishing things, but at what cost and how much are they distracting us from our lives? We can join meetings, video chat with family across the country, work from home, bank and basically do anything and everything we need to for our daily activities. A smartphone is considered as important as a learning tool. With the help of the internet on our phone, we can find a solution to any problem or an answer to any question. A smartphone offers the world’s largest library as stated by Ray Kurzweil “Mobile phones are misnamed. They should be called gateways to human knowledge.” Who has not watched a movie, clip or listened to music on their phone? I am pretty sure that everyone with a smartphone, has watched a movie a time or two. You can play games, watch movies, and watch video for educational or exercise purposes. I found out that 42% of cell phone owners used their phone for entertainment when they are bored. It is also said that a picture is worth a thousand words. With a smartphone, we can capture the world’s most beautiful images. Many times, we are not able to visit outside our own country but with the tools provided to us through our phones are able to visit anywhere. Mobile phones are also providing a sense of security and important for emergency services. My mom, as well as many other parents, can track me and my driving wherever I go. This proves to my mom that I can be trusted to go where I say I am going, to follow the speed limit and if she cannot reach me, she can see exactly where I am at all times. We both feel better that in case of an actual emergency like an accident, breakdown, or medical emergency, I can call for help. This is very important since I will be driving back and forth to college which is 6 hours away from home in the next few months. With all the positives there are also many negative influences of being a mobile phone owner. Despite being useful and necessary in our day to day lives it does cause many to be more unsocial. If you ever see a couple out on a date, I will guess majority of them are also on their phone instead of engaging in conversation. Phones have also isolated us from family and friends, which is a irony since it can also connect us. They have also caused thousands of car accidents. Using a mobile while driving is a major reason for car accidents. Per the National Safety Council report “Cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. Nearly 390,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting while driving”. While I won’t say that I never have text and drove, because the reality is that I have, but I know that I shouldn’t. I have enabled safety features on my phone that will allow me to text and drive by my voice and I never check a text while driving down the road. That will always wait until I am stopped at a red light or when I am at my destination. Despite the downsides, it’s hard to dispute the advantages of cell phones and its assistance in our daily lives. Cell phones are an outstanding accessory, but like everything they have their benefits and drawback and it us up to us to decide what impact this will have in our lives.