Unfortunately, we can not get away from technology whenever we want, and it has now been adopted into our daily life. It is what keeps society functioning like a well-oiled machine. This can provide a positive and a negative aspect. With technology growing faster and faster, sometimes it is hard to keep up. With the next generation practically born with smartphones in their hands, it is now an attachment to the body, making it even harder than ever to break apart from it. My smartphone technology experience is that it can be the biggest distraction, or it can be your greatest ally. For example, improving communication helps us maintain organization, easy navigation, immediate emergency, efficient access to information for students and businesses, etc. So far, that sounds great, but the negative effect of smartphones can ultimately be a risk factor to many things. For example, -The effects of mobile phones on children and teens. Giving mobile phones to children is an easy way to keep them occupied. A lot of parents use this strategy to stop their children from nagging them all the time. However, this approach can have disastrous results on the children. -Effects of cellphones on education. Students who use smartphones excessively perform poorly in class as compared to those who don’t. Those who use smartphones in class tend to recall less information and therefore perform badly in exams. Some had found that excessive use of mobile phones leads to headaches, irritability, and anger. -The use of mobile phones negatively affects social relationships. Teenagers who spend a lot of their time on their cell phones become socially withdrawn. They tend to spend time browsing the net or watching movies instead of interacting with others. - Last but not least, Dangerous driving. The most dangerous effect of smartphone usage is using a mobile phone while driving. Although using a smartphone while driving is illegal, most people can’t resist the urge to reply. Using a smartphone distracts the attention of the driver. Drivers who use a mobile phone while driving has reduced visual information of the road ahead, which increases the risk of accidents that might even prove fatal. Teens mostly find it harder not to reply to every text message while driving. This has been largely blamed for teen motor vehicle crashes. Although we cannot stop all smartphone usage, we need to raise concerns about smartphone usage and promote healthy ways to use smartphones to prepare and use these tools for good.

When I was 10 years old, I did not know much about other countries around the world. I only read them in history books and heard some people talk about where they are from and why they came to America. All they said is that "they wanted to start a new life of being free." As I began to talk to more people from different countries, I've begun to step into their shoes. The greatest reality checked came when I was 15 years old and went to Mexico as a missionary with my church. Our location was in Ensanada. We did not go to the tourist spots like most people would. Our mission was to reach and help the people in the poorest lifestyle, abandon areas, and basically the forgotten parts of Ensanada. The roads were nothing but dirt. Animals like chickens, goats, and dogs ran loose anywhere and everywhere. The people's clothing looked as if they wore it for weeks. Some had bare feet, and others who did have shoes looked as if they were going to fall apart any second. The homes they lived in look beat down and rotted. My heart fell to my stomach. There was a big difference between the tourist part of Ensenada and an hour's drive from it, like walking into a different reality. The Mexican government poured more money into the tourist areas than the people of Mexico. But what caught me off guard was the people's expression towards us. They were joyful when they saw us and grateful for what they had, even though it could be close to nothing. I told this story because I understood that some Americans do not realize how blessed we are growing up in a free and prosperous nation. We as Americans need to understand that it is the only nation in the world where we all have freedoms and rights that were given to the people. We had a government that helped us put money into our communities, schools, and the homeless to make them grow and prosper. I believe what it means to be an American is making a change and making good changes. Being American is being welcomed, caring about other people, being proud of the country you live in. Being an American is standing up for people who need help, who have been forgotten, and protecting those who seek the same freedoms.