Smartphones have radically
changed people’s lives. Before people have to take extra effort in sending
messages or they buy a camera just to take pictures. Today, these
functionalities are integrated into one, rectangular – revolutionary technology
that keeps getting smarter and smarter every day. Since then, smartphones are never
found out of reach from people.
According to statistics,
almost half of the population owns a smartphone. In a 2016 survey conducted by
the Bank of America, 96% of the millennials aged 18 to 24 years old said that
smartphones are very important for them. 93% of them even stated that
smartphones are more important than deodorant and toothbrush. The survey also
found out that an individual checks his or her smartphone every 6.5 minutes.
Everything has its advantages
and disadvantages. In the section, let us know what the disadvantages of
smartphone technology are.
Costly
Smartphones can be expensive,
especially those high-end phones with great specs and features. Apart from the
smartphone itself, some applications require being purchased in order to fully use
the other functionalities offered by the app. If you also want data
connectivity, you need to maintain a data plan.
Poor
Social Interaction
Based on the new data
released by analytics firm Flurry, people use smartphones at least 5 hours a
day. They also added that people’s usage of apps increases to 69% last 2017.
With this, the “real” social interaction degrades. People no longer interact
with people outside as they tend to spend more time with their smartphones.
Distraction
Despite the productivity, smartphones
can really be distracting. Applications notify you when there are messages,
updates, latest offerings, etc. These interrupt the momentum which can
potentially affect your productivity. When you attend to these notifications,
you’ll find yourself attached to the phone.
Health
Issues
Smartphones are also found to
have a negative impact on your health. Smartphones emit radiofrequency energy
which can be absorbed by the tissues in the body. Sleep deprivation is also one
of the common bad effects of using smartphones. Moreover, phones produce HEV
light which can damage your eyes’ retina.
Advantages and Disadvantages
of Smartphone Technology
Addiction
When you wake up in the
morning, do you find yourself checking your phone first than anything else? If
you do, this is an early sign of smartphone addiction. This problem may lead to
a serious addiction. This may include addiction to games, social media, etc.
Privacy
Threats
Even if smartphones are made
private, there are still security risks and threats everywhere. Hackers are
always present and virtual viruses are potent. Smartphones are vulnerable to
these threats when you access the internet. Thus, you need to be extra cautious
of opening sites and links.
Extra
Work
With high-end smartphone
comes…extra work. Smartphones are widely used in business. If you find yourself
relying on various apps, then you are working on extra workloads which are not
even existent before. Moreover, your boss can instantly call you even in the
middle of the night.
Uncensored
Content
Lastly, there is a
disadvantage in easy access to information and the internet. People, especially
children can see, intentionally or not, the uncensored content including
violence, pornographic content, etc. If you have children, make sure you regulate
their use of smartphones.