“Mobile Phones? They’re everywhere. This so-called social blessing is turning out to be an enormous social nuisance. ” How many parents have you heard say that? I sure know a lot. I have several points that I would like to discuss? These include how mobile phones are damaging our society, cyber bullying, children and their reaction, and the elderly. But I will also visit the other side of the argument- how mobile phones are a blessing to have. It is essential for you to believe why mobile phones are taking its toll in society. Firstly, it is imperative for you to realize how mobile phones are damaging our society.
As study shows from Roy Morgan Research, up to one in two Australians have a mobile phone. You walk along the street, how many people do you see using their mobile phone? Texting? Talking? You see a mate in the street and you start talking to him, but he is only half listening because he is on his mobile phone. People use mobile phones now to tell things to others that should be said face to face; e. g. : break ups. People have to stand up to reality. The real question is now, has the blessing of a mobile phone turned society upside down?
Secondly, if mobile phones were not this much updated with apps, internet and other accessories, cyber bullying to the extent it is today would not be happening. According to Cyber Bullying Australia, the amount of claims of mobile cyber bulling has risen to one fifth of Australian children up to the age of 16 over the last ten years. Cyber bullying is extremely damaging to adolescents, especially on their mobile phones. When the first mobile phones came out, there was almost no cyber bullying with statistics showing that only 9. 8% of students getting bullied on their mobile phone.
This proves that no matter the age of the user, mobile phones are indeed damaging our society. Corresponding to my previous argument, children my age are called the ‘I generation’ for a reason. Once again, Roy Morgan Research shows that over 78% of children up to the age of 16 have some sort of portable technological product with mobile phones owning 69% of that group. Only recently, I heard a conversation between a mother and a son that briefly went like this: “Mum, all of my friends have a mobile phone, can I? ” The mother says no, but the conversation continues, “But it’ll be only used for emergencies situations. The mother hesitated, but the mother gave up and the boy had a, iPhone the next week. But a couple of weeks later, the phone was uploaded with several different apps- so much for only emergencies. My point is that people are being peer pressured into believing that they have to keep up with all of the latest technology, which is unnecessary. To tell you the truth, mobile phones have caused huge social problems that the public have to think about. Also, the elderly are struggling to keep up with all of the technological updates. Remember the boy that wanted the phone?
Well now he decided to text his grandma that his family was coming after school. And because his grandma doesn’t know how to read messages, she had unexpected guests that afternoon. So my point is that there is nothing wrong to give people a call on the landline, even if it takes longer. Mobile phones have become a nuisance beyond level. Finally, mobilephones also have its benefits. The first mobile phones to come out were very simple. They featured a phone, key pad for texts, and some were very lucky to have a camera. But now, (think about this one carefully,) how many people do you see having one of those phones?
Mobile phones are a blessing to have, but when you truly need- don’t get me wrong; mobile phones are an amazing invention. But to the extent people use it today in society with Facebook and several other addition, it has become a societal problem that the public has to think about. Mobile phones also has its educational purposes. With at the touch of a button you can open up a calculator, internet and dictionary, it has become an ultimate tool in some classrooms. Over the last five years, schools have taken advantage of the benefit, but now, mobile phones have been banned in classrooms of 89% of Australian schools.
People have taken the invention of a mobile phone too far; some even admit using it more than their computer at home. Now, when you really think about it, how can mobile phones not be causing social problems? Many people believe that mobile phones have got to the stage where it has become an enormous social issue. Phones are damaging our society in ways that people decide to use them to tell things that should be said face to face. One fifth of Australian children are getting cyber bullied and children my age are using their phones more than their computers at home.
With 1 in 2 Australians having a mobile phone, how can you not beg the question, how is this not damaging our society? 78% of children up to the age of 16 have some sort of portable technological product and this proves that they are pressured into believing that they have to keep up with all of the latest technology. It is also hard for the elderly to understand and keep up with all of the latest technology. But on the other hand, mobile phones also has its benefits, but to the extent people use it today, it has become a real social nuisance.
