The best is yet to come: November 2012

Smart phones !! really smart ?

I am quite often mocked at by my close friends and looked upon surprisingly by work colleagues for using a primitive model Nokia cell phone. Living in an era of smartphones it is quite a challenging task to explain reasons for not buying one for myself when affordability is not under question.

Even to friends who are vocal in their criticism , I have to frequently explain reasons for not changing my television and computer to newer versions. Collectively, I respond by telling that my basic needs are fulfilled by the gadgets I possess and I find it unnecessary to keep abreast with rapidly changing technology specially sometimes when it is more of a show of status.

So far, the phone I use, serves the purpose of receiving and placing calls and text messages. The television I have, suffices for my moderate viewing of cricket and news and the IBM laptop purchased some 6 years ago connect amply with my people all around the globe.

I may be wrong in justifying use of old TV and computer but I am quite strongly convinced that changing my conventional phone by smart phone will have no added advantages to my needs. Further, I equally believe that these phones are causing enough harm to the people that sooner or later they may have to mandatorily carry a statuary warning just as cigarettes packet do. Subject is debatable and I have my reasons of opposing overt use of smart phones.

Ever since people around me started using smart phones major shift in their behavior is being noticed. After a few instances which caught my attention, I thought of expressing my opinion on the subject broadly. Recently while waiting to board plane back to Kuwait at the Dubai airport I counted around 40 persons in the lounge out which 33 were engaged on their phones, 3 were dozing, three strolled leisurely watching their kids and to my sheer delight 1 was engaged in reading a book.

While seated in plane before taking off, majority of persons were still engaged on phones and I am sure despite announcement to switch them off many were still on. I have a feeling of despair at instances since striking conversations and making friends during travels was my forte till I found no one to talk to as most of the people prefer phone than to talk with strangers.

My aversion to smartphone addiction multiplies manifold when during serious professional discussions, individuals are distracted by alerts which to my understanding are no more than Facebook or twitter notifications. I am appalled by watching people instantly turning their attentions towards virtual friends, literally and practically insulting the ones who are physically present there for more important matters.

Beyond anyone’s doubt, cellular phones are a necessity these days but I believe, being connected to the internet through cell phones is dangerous, both, socially and medically. In my opinion people addicted to smart phones have started living in virtual world, detached from reality. This attribute is denting the social network too. Even in family gatherings like marriages or even birthdays people are seen isolating into corners being connected to faraway people some of whom may be even imaginary.

Speaking in term of initial scientific researches, the Smartphone users have developed “checking habits” which is repetitive checks of e-mail and other applications averaging 34 times in a day which is often done within 10 minutes of each other. This eventually may lead to obsessive compulsion which is categorized as a mental disorder.

Biologically speaking, the 4.3 billion mobile phone users are exposed to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range, which is believed to be harmful to human health majorly affecting the brain. Some researchers also advocate a theory of human fertility being affected too.

Parents who flaunt their toddlers technical abilities to handle smart phones are gravely mistaken, not even single study shows that any of today's electronic gadgets give children an intellectual edge over their playmates who play with balls and eye spy. Even the "educational" apps that are "designed to boost brain growth will not turn your toddler into a genius, not even close. There is no scientific evidence that any "educational" app, learning system, computer program, or set of DVDs can increase infant intellect. So instead of handing over iPhones to your children try to engage them verbally and in physical games which would develop your children’s emotional skills they’ll need to succeed in life. Remember, there is no and won’t be an alternative to bedtime stories told by moms to their growing children. Believe me, these stories drowsily narrated to us by our mothers leave and everlasting impact on our psyche.

Children addicted to the internet could soon be classed as mentally ill, it has been claimed. According to the Herald Sun, 'internet-use disorder' will be included in the DSM-IV - the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - from May next year.

Conclusively; the use of phones should be limited to bare necessities to preserve creativity of minds and this should be propagated through every possible front for the benefit of all.

Following is cut and paste from an email I received.

The day that Einstein predicted, seemingly arrived ...

Albert Einstein: "I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction”.