Cell phones are the biggest advance in technology since the invention of the television. Teenagers on average use their phones around nine hours a day. Whether it be Snapchat with the new filters, keeping up with what your friends are doing on Instagram, watching cute cat videos on Twitter, or whatever social media. You have to admit- it’s very distracting.
The past few weeks, I have noticed myself being on my phone less and less, and yes, I have seen the benefits of it. I’ve had more time to study and do homework, I’ve gotten a significant difference in my sleep, and I’ve had less headaches. But over Thanksgiving break, I spent the day downtown with my aunt and my older cousin. The entire train ride, my cousin didn’t once look up from his phone. The whole time we were at lunch, I think I heard him talk once, and it was when he was ordering. He just got home from college and here he was completely ignoring us. It was so annoying having someone the entire time we were in the city with his head was down.
I have heard adults say, “You kids are on your phones too much,” and I don’t think I ever truly realized how much that was actually true until I put my phone down and used it significantly less than I was used to. The past few weeks I have tried to limit my cell phone usage to only an hour or two during school, and to completely put it away while doing my homework. My grades have gone up. I’ve also talked to people in person way more than I ever have since getting a phone. Yes, cell phones can be helpful and great for talking to friends when you’re not with them; it’s also a bad thing when you’re being distracted and it’s affecting your grades, real life relationships and your sleep.