Don't get me wrong. I do believe that there are people out there who are overly glued to their phones. However, I maintain that we are currently in a technology-based society - and phones aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
As a college student, I frequently use my phone. I don't have time to play games (or often, spend much time on social media), but I still use it all the time. If I'm on my way to class, I am usually using Quizlet to review my notes or vocabulary terms. I use my camera to document occasions that are significant or important to me. And yes, I use social media.
There are times when I hate social media. 2016 election season...you get it. I'm tired of scrolling past posts that don't advocate for a candidate without tearing apart their opponent. But, I like that many of my Facebook friends share news articles or listicles about their favorite character from Gilmore Girls. It may not be the most productive use of my time, but it allows me to relax in between studying and classes. Social media helps me stay up-to-date on current events. Most importantly, social media keeps me connected with people I don't see every day. Now, I don't believe that talking to someone via a screen is by any means equivalent to spending time with them, but consider this: in a world that is constantly moving, it is easy to get in touch with my family while I'm at college or my friends who are attending universities all over the state and country. When our parents were in college, they (mostly) didn't talk to their college friends over the entire summer break. That is not the culture anymore. Now, it is easy to call or FaceTime someone on the other side of the world. Technology has made keeping up relationships and communication easier.
Phones have other redeeming factors. Constantly-evolving technology is simplifying life in all kinds of ways. Ten years ago, if my parents needed to give me money for school or to go out, they would have to go to an ATM and withdraw cash. Now if I've run my tank down to empty, my mom can transfer enough money for a few gallons of gas into my account instantly. Five years ago, if I were to not answer my phone for a while, my mom would've started driving around looking for me. Now, she can track my phone instantly and make sure I'm where I said she was. The list of minor innovations that have had a major impact on how we do life is lengthy. Technology has made our family life easier.
I'm not going to pretend that technology only applies to middle-class families in America, though. The demand for better, faster, more efficient smartphones stimulates research - and technological research is providing answers that cover many subject areas. The desire to have a smaller, lighter phone pushes smartphone engineers to find solutions - how do we make microscopic parts that perform almost equally as well as their larger counterparts? How do we increase battery life on an iPhone, and how does that apply to increasing battery life on lifesaving medical devices? How do we manufacture a higher-quality camera without the cost of an iPhone skyrocketing above what average consumers are willing to pay? How does that affect the larger view of technology in the medical field and beyond? Technology is increasing our knowledge in various diverse fields.
So, you can say what you want about phones, but they're here to stay.
