The Hidden Dangers of Mobile Phone Addiction

Aaron Fawcett

Keli Rowley

English 1

28 May 2015                                                                                    

The Hidden Dangers of Mobile Phone Addiction

            Cell phones have come a very long way from the basic, heavy brick like design they once were. Advances in technology have made mobile phones smaller, lighter, and more efficient. You can access the internet, email, text messages, phone calls, games, social networking, and a variety of other applications all through your smartphone. Today, almost everyone owns a smartphone and whether we realize it or not, our lives revolve around them. While these smartphones are quite amazing and handy, there are proving to have some serious negative side effects. While the internet, social media, video gaming, and online gambling can all prove to be serious addictions, I feel mobile phones are the most dangerous since we can access all of these through them. Our addiction to our mobile phones has resulted in a lack of real, tangible social interaction, a false sense of relation and connection with others, and a reliance and inability to function without them.

Works Cited

Fitzgerald, Britney. “Americans Addicted to Checking SmartPhones, Would ‘Panic’ if Lost

            Device”. Huffingtonpost.com. Huffington Post. 21 June 2012. Web. 28 May 2015.

International Center for Media and the Public Agenda. “Students Addicted to Social Media”.

            Signs of Life in the USA. Eds. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. 2015. Print

Counterargument and Rebuttal

We Post Nothing about Our Daughter  Online

            Many people may not agree with posting pictures and updates of your children online, and have come up with many arguments against it. First, sensitive information and pictures may be leaked to or tracked by predators online. Second, the “cute” pictures you upload may be embarrassing to your child when they grow up. Lastly, you are taking away your child’s ability to have web anonymity and they have no say in the matter.

            While these concerns are understandable and completely valid, they are relatively insignificant and easily resolved. If you are worried about pictures and sensitive status updates reaching the eyes of people you don’t want seeing them, adjust your profile to private. This setting allows only friends to be able to view your posts. Also, Facebook gives the options to filter your friends based on your level of friendship. You can adjust the settings so only your close friends, rather than acquaintances can see that specific post. As for the second argument, that is just a part of growing up. Weather its online or in a photobook, your parents are going to take funny baby and childhood pictures of you that might be a tad embarrassing. This being said, I highly doubt the kids at school the child would worry about being teased by, are going to be friends with their mother on Facebook. Lastly, it is so important to document your children’s life, especially in the early years of childhood. Facebook and other social mediums are simply modern, online photobooks. Having a collection of bulky photobooks can easily be avoided by digitally archiving on Facebook. If you are worried about your child’s “web anonymity”, you need to get with the times. It’s the 21^st century, a digital age, and everything is online. Chances are when your kid is 13 or 14 and they make their first social media page, they are going to ruin their “web anonymity” with silly and borderline inappropriate photos that teenagers like to take. When it comes down to it, posting pictures of your children online is quite harmless, and actually has a lot of benefits if you do it right.

We Post Nothing about Our Daughter Online

In Amy Webb’s article “We Post Nothing about Our Daughter Online” she describes how one of her friends loved to post pictures and statuses about their five year old daughter. She explains that her and her husband do not post anything about their daughter, and try to keep her off the web. They have made accounts for all the social network sites in her name, and plan to give her an envelope with all her usernames and passwords when they think she is old enough. They do not want to take away her web anonymity for her, and will let her make the choice when she is old enough.  I understand what they are trying to do, and I partially agree with it. I completely understand not posting anything about your children on the internet. I agree, and do not think it is a very smart thing to do, especially in the excessive way described in the article. However, I really see no point in making accounts for their child when she is just a baby. If you want to keep your daughter off the web, why would you make accounts for her? Also, the chance that the same social networking sites and email servers being used to  will be common 15 years from now is highly unlikely. Just 5 or 10 years ago things like AOL instant messenger and Myspace were huge, yet are completely outdated and ignored today. I guess in theory their idea of allowing their daughter to be in complete control of her web presence is good, though I would have to say their method of going about it is a bit impractical.

The Snitch in Your Pocket

In Michael Isikoff's article "The Snitch in Your Pocket" he exposes the facts on the federal government's ability to access public cell phone records in real time and use them to locate and gain personal information on whomever they want.  He provides examples of the good that his has done for serious criminal investigations, as well as the abuse and potential abuse. Personally, I find it a bit unsettling. The government can use your cell phone to see where you’ve, who you have been talking to, and what you have been saying. While they say it is used for criminal investigations and access is only given to cleared officers with warrants, there have already been multiple cases of abuse,  and our personal information is being monitored and used for reasons that are far from constitutional.  I am not going to say that this is scary, because it doesn’t really surprise me and I was already aware that the government can do this, though I do find it unsettling. In my opinion it gives the government too much power. In the last paragraph Isikoff brings up the point that the federal government could use this technology to target political protestors. In theory, the constitution gives the people the power to keep the government in check, and even impeach and overthrow if necessary. If the government can track and keep tabs on all that oppose or disagree with what it is doing, they have too much power. It reminds me too much of George Orwell’s 1984, and the concept of Big Brother. With programs like the NSA, and the federal government’s ability to monitor anything and everything people do, I see the concept of Big Brother becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society.  

CitizenFour Response

I really enjoyed watching the CitizenFour documentary about whistleblower Edward Snowden and the process of events that happened before, during, and after he leaked what the NSA is doing. One of the first things that came to mind while watching the documentary was the unique personality of Edward Snowden. He is willing to give up a high profile job with the highest security clearance, in order to let the people know what is really going on. I am not only impressed with his moral and ethical bravery, but especially in his intelligence. Even if I knew the secrets of the NSA like he did, I would not have the slightest clue on how to go about spreading the word. He needed to get the information out in very strategic manner for it to be most effective and to avoid any unpleasant interactions with the government until the info had been fully exposed. Also, when he is giving the information to the journalists, he wants to make sure that he does not include his own bias, and that the story focuses on what the NSA is doing, rather than himself and his back-story. I find his actions admirable, as well as quite ingenious. Also, I am impressed by the bravery of the journalists. It takes a lot of guts to spill the beans on something like this. These reporters seemed very outspoken about it,  and were not in the least bit apprehensive. They are no longer able to go to the United States, and there was a point where they did not know what was going to happen next to them. Both Edward and the journalists are the first leak something of this magnitude against the government, and had no road-map of what to do or how things would turn out. With that said, I think they handled it very well, and I was really amazed at the whole process.