Reading both Justin’s and Kenny’s blogs on how phones and
sleep affects us in negative ways made me think, what are the positives of all
of this technology? As students, we are constantly on phones, computers, ipads,
televisions, and whatever other forms of streaming information, sometimes all
at once. Of course there are multiple side effects and ways we are unconsciously
effected.
Sleep wise I agree with what both blogs had to say. We don’t
get nearly enough sleep as we should, and a lot of the time it’s because we are
on social media (through our phones/computers) and/or are watching TV right before
going to bed. Personally, I am either on my computer watching Netflix (surprise,
surprise) or watching TV on my couch while on Facebook on my phone in between
before finally deciding to turn in. However, like Kenny said in his response,
when I go to check my phone one last time before closing my eyes, I am then up
for at least another half hour. At least.
Personally to me it is no surprise that with all this
technology we lack sleep and social skills. We are on it all the time, if not
for school, it’s for pleasure. Steve Jobs didn’t even let his children use
ipads or iphones, so that automatically makes me question the scientific
electronic safety of the products.
Although we all scold ourselves socially for being so
reliant on technology, do we do anything about it? Not really. But why? Adults
think our generation can’t go an hour without looking at some sort of social
media. So why do we only prove them right and continue to be controlled by
technology (phones specifically)? Because we get a good amount of benefit from
it.
Yes there are a ton of negative effects of phones, socially
and health wise. However, we wouldn’t be so lenient and glued to them if they
had no benefit.
First off, there is the internet. Who honestly can say they
don’t genuinely appreciate the internet as a whole? Every answer to any burning
question is available to you in seconds. Need help on homework? Google it. Need
to get in touch with someone relatively quick? Email them. Need to know
literally almost anything else? Look it up on the internet.
More specifically, social media and phones. Phones have made
getting in contact with other people the easiest thing to do. Seriously. Don’t
you all recall your mother’s stories about carrying a pocket full of change for
the nearest pay phone, which they then had to search out?
Phones have also helped out large businesses for adults too.
Blackberrys which were before iphones were business (wo)men’s best friends.
They were compact and had all the features a busy working adult would need.
Think about how many companies have been created from all the apps created for
iphones and jobs that are now available for kids fresh out of college. Kid’s in
college can create their businesses themselves.
Now that I’ve gotten extremely off topic from what the blogs I’m responding to have discussed, I want to end by talking about the health problems again. Yes, I get way too little sleep thanks to my cell phone. But it’s kind of my fault, because I know when I check it that one last time, it’s not going to be for just one minute. Also, we all know that technology isn’t the best thing that has happened to our health. I spend more time sitting on the computer wasting time than I do almost anything else. But when I know that I have to get up at 6:45am I’m going to try to make getting out of bed a little bit easier by going to bed earlier with no phone. We are in control. We control what and how much tecnbology and social media we use.
