Are we Addicted to our Phones?- Sophia Popova Newstead Wood School

There are numerous reasons why using your mobile phone too much is bad for you, some of which are related to physical and some mental health. One of the ways in which being addicted to our mobile phones is bad is because it does not leave us time to do active exercises. This is very harmful for our physical health as it means that our chances of developing diabetes, stroke and heart disease are increased when we don’t do enough exercise. As people use their devices and become addicted, we hardly have time to do anything else, we just want to scroll through social media or play the new game everyone’s been talking about. 

Another way in which using mobile phones is damaging is because of the lack of socializing between friends and family. Mobile phones can be a great way to talk to relatives over long distances or communicate with classmates and friends. However, talking face to face and meeting new people is much better for our welfare. People value their phones and social media over their social life in the real world. This decreases social interactions and can lead to depression and anxiety. However, it is extremely hard to stop using your phone. Companies have thought of clever ways to keep you online and compelling you to keep pressing the play button on the next game or episode. From the vibrant, bold colours of each game to the frustrating cliff hangers at the end of each episode on Netflix. Once you open an app you can’t close it. Smriti Vimal, a student at Newstead Wood said, “I use my phone nearly every day and I’m sure many people are the same, particularly teenagers.”