Internet and Cell Phone Addiction

The internet and cellular devices began years ago as mere ideas. In some instances, these ideas became unfathomable in the historical timeline. Time has proven that possibilities are endless and that ideas can come to life. Fast forward to the present, and it is nearly impossible to find an individual who is not connected to technology. The average individual spends a large fraction of their day surfing the internet or focused on their cell phones. Anything that an individual wishes to see or do is right there at their fingertips. Although technology such as this allows for instant gratification, especially in the communication aspect, it does somewhat handicap current and future generations. Internet and cell phone addiction has contributed to the decline of genuine and authentic communication.

Communication through using the internet and cellular devices is instant; yet, it is a form of distant communication. It is convenient to contact anyone at the click of a button, and the best part is that the other party does not have to be nearby. Unfortunately, this means that there has been a trend in reduced face to face communication. In this way, most communication is full of distance and less intimate for some.

Internet and cell phone addiction has caused come individuals to lose the ability to hold real face to face conversations. This leads to poor communication skills in regard to conversation starting and the ability to hold a proper conversation. Conversation content and body language are problematic for generations of the digital age. Most look down or look away due to paying attention to the internet or cell phones. Also, using technology to communicate allows whoever is messaging to pause and think before a reply is sent. In real life, there is no way to pause or delete or edit what is said which makes communication more of a frustration or barrier.

Lastly, internet and cell phone addiction seem to act as a distraction from reality. In terms of interacting with the real world, it is shown that throughout the years more and more people choose to become fixated on their technology as opposed to interacting with their real environment on a physical and social level. As an example, it is common to see individuals in a public area; yet, most are fixated on their devices as opposed to each other. In some cases, many are quick to use a cell phone to view the world as opposed to viewing it through their own eyes. Using technology as a lens to view the world distances the experience.

Overall, although internet and cell usage have a variety of benefits, there are instances where the drawbacks can affect daily life. In this case, one of the main drawbacks is the slow decline of authentic communication. Internet and cell addiction make communication more distance and less face to face, contributes to poor real-life communication skills, and serves as a distraction from reality. In the end it is up to us to discipline ourselves enough to take a break and relearn the proper ways of communication and interaction.