Different viewpoints may arise when it in to technology today’s society. One may think it is convenient, while others my say it’s distracting. Cellphones are suitable for paying bills or making emergency calls in a severe situation. However, I believe that cellphones are more of a distraction rather than a useful source, because they make a person spend less time with their families or other important people, they allow to interfere with assignments, and they can be a safety hazard.
To begin with, cellphones distract people from interacting and spending time with others. For me personally, I am guilty of ignoring people when on my phone. There have been plenty of times where my family would want me to watch a movie with them in the living room, but instead I go to my room and watch videos on my phone. I have become aware this issue and I have gotten myself more involved with my family household.
Which is the point I’m trying to get across that we should take breaks from our phones when we have company. Just like in one of the lines in Television by Lydia Davis which says, “And so we turn off the telephone during this program and do not answer the knock at the door that rarely comes. We watch closely.” I interpret these lines in the short story are saying that we are so distracted by technology that we ignore the little things that we should appreciate more. So, this connects with what I’m saying about telephones because just like the television, cellphones can be distracting someone from precious moments they could be having with others.
Furthermore, cellphones interfere with getting assignments done. I know from experience because I catch myself being more occupied on my phone than my actual work. Usually, when I’m working on an assignment I get easily sidetracked with videos on my phone similar to what is said in Television, “It’s partly my isolation at night, the darkness outside, the increasing lateness of the hour, that makes the story on the television seem so interesting.” Sadly, I sometimes feel like the activities that go on in my life interest me so I seek to my cellphone to see what’s new just like how the character in television seeks enjoyment in television. On another note, people can fix this distraction problem by setting aside time for doing only work, then taking small breaks in between. For an example, if an individual had an essay they can set 30 minutes for work only and 10 minutes breaks once every half hour is up. This tip will certainly help when cellphones become such a distraction when a task is needed to be completed.
Lastly, I believe the overuse of a cellphone can be a safety hazard. In this case, texting and driving. There have been many cases of texting and driving leading to horrible accidents and even deaths. I remember one instance where me and my brother were riding in the car and brother’s phone was ringing while he was driving so he answered it, but as he answered it a car flew passed right in front of us without stopping. Luckily, my brother had great reflexes so he prevented the accident. On the other hand, just from answering his phone while driving we could’ve been in a serious collision. Fortunately, for me and my brother we have iPhones and with the new update we can set the phone to not allow phone calls or text messages while driving. To prevent a danger on the road from happening I recommend people with an iPhone to update their phones and people who don’t have iPhone to discipline themselves from texting/calling while driving. Without discipline from being on a cellphone during driving can result in a situation likewise to Accident by Dave Eggers that says, “The accident was your fault, and you walk over to tell them this. Walking over to their car which you have ruined.” I strongly feel that there should be a limit if cellphone usage to prevent hazards such as car accidents and more.
Overall, I am not proposing cellphone usage needs to stop completely. They can be very useful, valuable, and convenient to an individual’s life. On the other hand, when people overuse their cellphones it can distract them from people they love, their work, and become hazardous in which there is a problem. Which is is why I am highly recommending our society to reduce the amount of cellphone usage due to the matter being a distraction. If people can put their phones aside for brief moments I think they will be satisfied with their result.
