Posted: December 24th, 2022

Balancing Act

Balancing Act
In one page (200+ words) report, answer the Balancing Act questions below. Include at least one source outside of your book. Remember to cite your sources, spell check and answer completely.
Balancing Act
6. Are We Too Dependent on Our Smartphones? If you can name it, there is probably an app for it. While certainly useful, our smartphones are used for an ever-growing collection of tasks. But do we rely on them too much? Is being able to Google the answer to every question that arises a benefit of improved technology or is it decreasing our ability for independent thinking and problem solving? Is the amount of time children spend playing games on their phones and text messaging their friends impacting their ability to interact with others face to face? Most children today can type rapidly on a smartphone keyboard and use the GPS feature on their phone to find any destination they may wish to go to but many schools are no longer teaching handwriting and some children have never even seen a paper map, let alone used one—will this put today’s children at a disadvantage when they become adults? What tasks do you use your mobile phone or smartphone for? Would you be able to perform those tasks without your phone? Are we becoming so dependent on our smartphones that we will be unable to function without them? Why or why not?
Pick a side on this issue, form an opinion and gather supporting evidence, and write a 200+ word response.

Smartphone technology has come to make our lives much easier because today, we can find phone numbers much faster, get instant directions, and get recommendations on various destinations or places like restaurants. However, based on new research evidence, the convenience provided by smartphones also has its drawbacks in the sense that it lowers individuals thinking ability, affects emotional development and communication skills development, among other issues. This discussion suggests that although we are increasingly becoming dependent on smartphones, we should be careful of the many negative effects associated with it to both adults and children.
According to a report by the University of Waterloo (2015), smartphone users who happen to be intuitive thinkers are more likely to rely on their instincts and gut feelings when making decisions. This finding suggests that such smartphone users tend to use the search engine on their devices more frequently instead of their brainpower. As a consequence, smartphones make them lazier than what they would be under normal circumstances. For example, they would prefer to look up for information they could easily learn, or they know but become unwilling to make such efforts because they have a smartphone (University of Waterloo, 2015). These findings demonstrate that smartphones lower our thinking ability.
Another concern to consider when using smartphones is the fact that it has been established that they affect emotional development and communication skills in humans. For example, children who rely heavily on electronics for their communication are at risk of weakening their communication and people skills (Glatter, 2014). Additionally, according to Dr. Small, such children tend to be detached from the feelings of others (Neighmond, 2014). This demonstrates that smartphones are harming children.
References
Glatter, R. M.D. (2014). Can Smartphones Adversely Affect Cognitive Development In Teens? Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2014/05/19/can-smartphones-adversely-affect-cognitive-development-in-teens/
Neighmond, P. (2014). For The Children’s Sake, Put Down That Smartphone. NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/04/21/304196338/for-the-childrens-sake-put-down-that-smartphone
The University of Waterloo. (2015, March 5). Reliance on smartphones linked to lazy thinking. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 18, 2020, from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150305110546.htm

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