It seems that sometimes a prescription drug successfully stops a pain or problem in an illness, but has a nasty side effect that needs another drug to cover it. Mobile phones, to me, are one of those drugs.
In this world of technological advances that occur every minute, humans are becoming more and more dependent on technology. Although technology has opened up numerous doors in education, with the availability of computers, the internet, and now with classes held over webcam, technology is crippling basic communication skills.
The fact that cell phones are becoming increasingly prominent in elementary schools appalls me. Why do elementary school kids need a cell phone? Why do parents call their child during classes to “check up on their child?” The use of phones is vastly crippling person to person communication. As people are able to call each other more, they are less able to communicate their emotions and thoughts in person. However, as much as phone calls can damage a person’s ability to talk face to face, texting is the real problem in society.
I am known by my friends as one of the best friends to talk to face to face: this is because I didn’t have a cell phone until the last month of my senior year. I never texted my friends to ask, “Hey, can I come over tonight?” or “The meeting tonight is at six:” I always called. I never had text conversations–if you can even call them that–that lasted five days through a series of thirty texts: I always had a phone call that lasted five minutes in which I was able to convey the same thing. I never texted my friends or parents in an attempt to smooth over a conflict or apologize for something: I always talked to the person face to face, and occasionally called. Texting has also affected writing. Essays and letters are becoming riddled with misspellings and acronyms, such as lol, r u, omg, btw, etc.
Texting, and phones in general, are vastly affecting communication, both written and spoken. While mobile phones have purged numerous inconveniences, they have caused innumerable problems.