Introduction
In the 21st century, people tend to use technology in all aspects of their lives. Since early childhood, they play video games, listen to music, and use their smartphones and laptops. Specialists argue whether these technologies cause social isolation or, on the contrary, increase interaction. Without a doubt, the result of using devices depends on the purposes for which individual works with them. Modern technology facilitates access to the Internet and social media and provides an advantage of having practically the whole world knowledge in the person’s pocket. However, the increase in the use of technology has adversely affected the way individuals interact with each other. Today, most people tend to overuse their smartphones, and they are often more focused on their devices than on communication with each other. There are many factors that allow making a conclusion that technologies, especially smartphones, tend to instigate loneliness among people. Generally, such issues as the decrease of physical contact between people, an increased risk of depression development, and a negative influence on students’ performance are attributed to the feeling of loneliness due to smartphone overindulging.
Main body
First of all, smartphones influence the way people interact with each other and decrease physical contact which is important for human relationships. Before the technology became available to the large public, people would meet on different occasions and had much physical interaction. Today, it is much easier to communicate through mobile phones as they allow staying in constant touch. However, experts believe the availability of social media makes people lazy and not able to support connections in real life. Having unlimited access to their smartphones, individuals tend to ignore those who surround them, being focused on their devices instead. People sitting in a public place with their friends and using their mobile phones and not communicating face to face are a typical scene for modern society. The result of this increase in technology use is a decrease in real interaction between individuals. People feel lonely as they often have over 1000 friends on social media, and, in real life, they rarely have more than 40 or 50 acquaintances. It is important to remember that real contacts are necessary for normal mental health as they help not to feel lonely.
The second reason why mobile phones provoke loneliness is a threat of depression which is often caused by phones addiction. According to research held in 2019, dependency on smartphones predicts many reports of loneliness and symptoms of depression (Lapierre et al. 607). People often feel deep anxiety if they do not have access to their devices. Individual spending much time with their device feels more socially isolated than those who concentrate on real relationships. As a result, this addiction increases the chances of depression which makes people want to be lonely and affects their life. Such addiction influences both work and relationships with friends and relatives, and often leads to losing jobs and getting divorced. Consequently, all of these events lead to a feeling of social isolation. Considering the potential negative influence of smartphone dependency, it is recommended that people put certain boundaries for themselves. A helpful strategy is finding ways for managing stress, as many individuals turn to their phones when trying to manage nervous situations. It is essential to consider other healthy decisions, such as physical exercises or meditation.
The last important reason is the influence of smartphone addiction on students’ life. Children and adolescence are especially susceptible to all the negative impacts of modern technologies, as they have been growing with them. Today, many experts are worried that the constant use of smartphones provokes unhappiness and solitude among young generations. The way that students spend their time influences their mental health and school performance. Loneliness plays a relevant part in feeling positive about school life. Worsening of social interactions which are often associated with smartphone addiction aggravates solitude, decreasing the motivation to engage in social activities and attempts for better performance. Students tend to spend more time on social media and not on the search for information. Individuals with high levels of smartphones addiction have a bigger risk to acquire lower motivations and worse academic performance. Those who are dependent on their devices lose the ability to organize their learning effectively, and they find that they are more anxious about future tests and not about their engagement in the studying process. All these effects are worsened by the feeling of loneliness which appears to be the result of smartphone overuse.
Meanwhile, it is worthy to remember that modern technology, including smartphones, provides many useful opportunities and gives access to a huge amount of information in just a few clicks. It allows people to enlarge their connections and stay in touch with friends and relatives wherever they are. From this point of view, it is obvious that smartphones do not provoke loneliness but, on the contrary, make people who are distant closer. Today, communities are no longer grounded to a certain location since the occurrence of mobile phones reduced the distance between people and brought them together. In the past, communication was difficult, and it could take up to a few months to deliver a message from one individual to another. Today, this process can be accomplished in a few clicks and in a matter of seconds. Modern technology stimulates linguistics by making people talk to one another without any frontiers. This approach’s proponents claim that it is impossible to have a feeling of solitude with a smartphone in hand.
Conclusion
In conclusion, modern technology and smartphones in particular play an essential role in people’s life. It provides limitless opportunities for communication and social networks development, making it possible for people in different locations to stay in touch. In addition, it makes the knowledge humanity possesses available to a large public and gives unlimited opportunities for the search of information on almost any subject. However, there are causes that are considered to impact the increase of loneliness. First of all, it is a decrease in real physical contact which usually allows people to feel the support required for normal human relationships and mental health. The second reason is a risk of depression development which may lead to solitude as the result of the smartphones addiction. The last cause is the influence on students’ life which makes them stop participating in social and academic activities. All of these factors can be evaded by the smart use of technology and mobile phones. It is essential for each individual to establish certain boundaries for themselves and make the possession of a smartphone productive and useful.
Work Cited
Lapierre, Matthew, et al. “Short-Term Longitudinal Relationships between Smartphone Use/Dependency and Psychological Well-Being Among Late Adolescents.” Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 65, no. 5, 2019, pp. 607–612.