Cell_Phone_Addiction

Cell Phone Addiction Essay To what extent of cell phone use would we classify as addiction' Many people in the United States are admitted to being addicted to their cell phones and even more are addicted but don’t believe so. In a survey conducted in the United States, three percent of call phone users told surveyors that they were admitted. Now you may say, “Oh only three percent. That’s not a lot.” But the big question here is, “Three percent of what'” The U.S. Census Bureau says that the population of the United States is 310,834,174. Three percent of that would be roughly 9,325,025 people. That’s a lot more than what three percent makes it sound like. Cell phones have become an increasingly popular device among many people in the United States, but it has also become a fairly common cause of death, an “addiction”, and a major distraction among several age groups. First off, what is addiction' What conditions or circumstances must be met in order for a reliance on something to be classified as addiction. I would say that phones become addicting when the person develops too much of a need for constant communication. Some would say that addiction to cell phones includes texting during inappropriate times. For example, during school, church, or anytime that demands full attention and respect. Is texting while driving addiction or just a senseless act of ignorance toward the negative consequences' Cell phones are extremely popular among teenagers and this has many negative effects, but there is one in particular that is very disturbing: texting and driving. Teenagers are engaged on their cell phones all the time, no matter if it’s phone calls, texting, or personalizing the cell phones with ringtones and pictures etc... The increased risk that cell phones pose to driving is clear-cut and widely acknowledged and commonly called a “Fatal Distraction”. This increased risk is due to the inability of the human brain to fully focus on driving while texting on a cell phone. Too often this leads to an accident. Scientists have done tests and it is said that texting and driving is just as distracting as driving while drunk. We all have all seen the effects of that. Nobody wants that, but according to the same survey 76 percent of cell phone users reported using their phones in the car. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they were the one driving, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they were not… 20% of all fatal car crashes involving American drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 were the direct result of cell phone use. Addiction to cell phones can also cause a person to because less social. Being fixated on checking text messages, playing games, checking email, or calling friends and relatives can often make the user a slave to the crutches of technology and detract him or her from other fun and engaging real-world activities. Many teenagers become overly dependent on their cell phones which causes an anti-social behavior at home. Many parents find it hard to communicate with their children because their kids are so preoccupied. This type of behavior is unhealthy for the relationships between the user and his or her friends or family. It is a bit ironic actually. In a desperate need for communication a person can isolate themselves from his or her peers. In 2003, information-science professor Sergio Chaparro wanted to test out just how deeply cell phones had fixed themselves into the lives of his students at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He gave them a seemingly simple assignment: to turn off their cell phones for 72 hours. Out of 220 students with cell phones, only three were actually able to complete the assignment. After the experiment was done, Chaparro reported, “They had high levels of anxiety, high levels of stress, and high levels of insecurity. Some of them also told me personal stories. One student told me that the year before she went on a spring-break trip for a week, and the minute she got on the plane, she realized she had forgotten her cell phone. So her mom had to FedEx her the cell phone because she couldn't be without her cell phone for a few days. She was afraid of even driving without her cell phone.” That last sentence scares me. The only reason that she would want her cell phone while driving would be to call or text someone. I believe that speaks for itself. So it seems that cell phones can be addicting, and as a result, they become very dangerous and extremely distracting. I don’t know about you all but I’m going to try and turn my cell phone off for 72 hours and im going to see what happens. I advice you to do the same. If you experience any of the things that Professor Chaparro’s students had, you may in fact be addicted to your cell phone. Please, be careful.