Posted: March 23rd, 2023

The Impact of Mobile Phone Addiction on Society

Often, people tend to disregard some forms of addiction because they believe that real addicts are individuals suffering from compulsive substance abuse, including alcohol and marijuana. However, it is essential to recognize that some behaviors that infiltrate our lives, such as gambling and technology, are also addictive. In my society, mobile phone addiction has become pervasive – most people spend hours on their smartphones and other internet devices. Although mobile technology is purposed to improve lives, the overdependence on it affects my life adversely by weakening the family bond, impairing my mental health, causing accidents, and reducing the quality of services.

Mobile addiction hinders bonding with friends, relatives, and others. As part of my observation, my associates spend much time on their devices browsing the web and playing games; hence, we barely build on our interpersonal relationships. Besides, the habit affects how I interact with my allies because most lack interactive skills. Mobile dependency has also infiltrated my nuclear family. This has been the leading cause of misunderstandings and loose family ties for some time. For example, adults and children who spend long hours on their smartphones ignore essential messages, leading to miscommunication. Similarly, the habit affects my emotional development because my siblings and parents dedicate most of their time to online interactions rather than building and strengthening our family union.

Mobile dependency also has a severe impact on my mental health. In particular, online platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, affect how I perceive myself. The more I spend time on social media, the more I question my sense of belonging. For example, continually viewing people’s profiles and frequent online updates about their flamboyant lives makes me doubt whether I belong to their social class. Social media browsing sometimes affects my self-esteem, especially when I interact with individuals with a high online presence. Such an addictive trait in contemporary society affects my psychological well-being and behavior toward others.

In the past, I have been a victim of accidents that arise from mobile addiction. Mobile phone addiction can easily create a distraction from one’s daily activities. For instance, drivers who frequently use their smartphones may cause accidents. Similarly, pedestrians who portray the addictive trait may suffer from injuries due to frequent distractions, such as falls, burns, and cuts.  Some of these losses affected me directly, while others happened to be close friends but impacted my life significantly.

Mobile phone dependency also affects the productivity and quality of services I receive. In my view, this addictive trait affects the output among workers. Staff who portray high levels of mobile phone addiction are likely to be less keen on customers’ requests, thus providing poor services. I had an encounter with an employee who would spend too much time on his phone. As a result, he failed to respond promptly to my needs, hence delivering the exact opposite of what I had requested.

Overall, my experience reveals that mobile addiction is associated with adverse outcomes. Regardless of these adversities, there is hope that this addictive trait can be minimized. I have witnessed efforts by software developers to reduce mobile phone dependency by creating apps that reward individuals who use their phones less frequently. Similarly, some social amenities, such as hotels, offer discounts to customers who spend little time on their mobile phones. Mobile dependence can be reduced if such measures are implemented on a large scale.