For their final project in Speaking and Listening, students selected their assignment from a “choice board” of 8 offerings (plus one “you decide”). This Level 4+ student, Aziz Darweesh (left) chose to be interviewed on a talk show. He was famous soccer player, Christiano Ronaldo. His friend, Ali, acted as the talk show host and studied English at the ALI in Spring 2021.
Smartphones are everywhere. In this essay from October 2021, a Level 4 Writing student explores the positive and negative effects of extended smartphone use.
The use of scientific knowledge for practical goals is referred to as technology. Technology plays an important role in the lives of people today. With the rapid growth of technology, development involves learning, conducting business, traveling, and conversing, which are all activities that require communication. From the days of the telegraph to the period of more modern technologies, technology has evolved. One example is the evolution of smartphones, which have become an integral part of our daily lives. The extended use of smartphones can have both negative and positive effects.
There are a number of electronic devices that are damaging to the body, such as computers, tablets, and excessive use of headphones. A smartphone is the most often-used device. Because smartphones emit a lot of blue light, this unfocused visual “noise” reduces contrast, and can contribute to digital eye strain. People also tend to blink less when using digital devices, which contributes to dry eye and eye strain, and reduces vision. According to Hannah Sparks, author at The New York Post, “that exposure to blue-light — the glow emitted from most smartphones, tablets and laptops-promotes the growth of “poisonous molecules” in your eyes, leading to macular degeneration.” (Sparks). In addition, the over-use of smartphones has numerous negative effects on mental health, such as: increasing loneliness and depression, fueling anxiety, increasing stress levels, and diminishing the ability to concentrate and think deeply or creatively. Moreover, excessive smartphone use can disrupt sleep, which can have a serious impact on overall mental health. It can impact one’s the ability to think clearly and reduce cognitive and learning skills. Furthermore, smartphones can increase lethargy and reduce activity levels, which can lead to obesity. Because when a person is on the phone or watching TV, he or she is more likely to overeat. When eating while reading through one’s phone’s news feed or viewing videos, one is less aware of the calories consumed. A person is more prone to overeating as a result of this.
The extensive use of smart phones also has many negative influences on our society. When bringing a smartphone into a social interaction, it has two implications: first, it lowers the quality of what people are attempting to say, when engaged in a conversation. Second, people don’t enjoy being interrupted, which makes sense, so it lowers the empathic connection that people have with one another. Furthermore, people are having lack of face-to-face communication. Because with the development of smartphones, people are using video calling instead of face-to-face. Another impact is that kids now have a platform to be assaulted with many interesting games, due to simple access to the core of their play via a smartphone. Casey Imafidon, author at LifeHack, “These games limit their creativity and imaginations and slow their motor and optical sensory development” (Imafidon). Activities limit their ideas and inventiveness, as well as slowing their motor and visual sensory development. Furthermore, the negative influence of smartphones on education is the problem when users want to connect to social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, E-mail, and Skype, which causes users to become addicted to virtual rather than real life. Students who use cellphones in the classroom are less focused on their schoolwork. They are just concerned with contacting other users and connecting to social media without paying attention to their academics. Their academic performance may suffer because of this predicament.
In contrast, there are several positive effects of excessive smartphone use in daily life. One impact is that it ensures stress-free travelling. people can now go to unexpected destinations without worrying about getting lost. Finding one’s way around is no longer an issue. With Google Maps, Another positive effect of mobile phones is that they may be used to locate local restaurants, petrol stations, grocery shops, malls, hairdressers, and just about anything else people can think of. Simply, cell phones have simplified and facilitated navigation. Mobile devices are portable, which has made communication easier for more individuals than it was in the past when land lines were available. People can utilize the internet to reach a larger audience or to message specific individuals. In his article, “How Has Smartphones Made Our Life Easier?” Amar Ilindra, author at GeekDashboard, writes, “Smartphones have allowed communication to reach a whole new level, keeping friends and family in much better contact than ever before” (Ilindra). Owning a mobile phone is considered a necessity not just in the industrialized world, but also in underdeveloped countries. There are several educational applications that are particularly designed to assist students with taking notes, producing presentations, and keeping track of all their assignments, timetables, deadlines, tests, and grades. There are also other online platforms that provide number of free books for reading and/or downloading. Many schools and universities now encourage students to utilize various apps to help them keep organized and enhance their academic performance. One more impact is that the over-use of smartphones promotes overall health and well-being. There are a lot of people who might benefit from medication reminders to applications that aid those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s, as well as deal with stress and worry. Certain games and applications may also assist in training and enhancing your brain. They can also aid in the improvement of one’s attention and response speed, as well as the reduction of tension and anxiety.
The extended use of smartphones has many positive influences on society. Begging with Business Repercussions Smartphones expand the scope of business. Not only are smartphone manufacturers profiting, but they’ve also created a new market for app developers, Internet service providers, and other connected businesses. Receiving emails is an example of how smartphones have aided in the management and development of businesses. Improving and redesigning cellphones has a growing number of advantages. As a result, it is critical that smartphone manufacturers maintain competition in order to enhance this technology. Smartphones provide a unique opportunity to increase educational quality. Every student’s usage of the Internet has become part of the routine. The internet, in conjunction with smartphones, offers different delivery methods for education services and online learning. The website KeyIdeas stated, “Internet together with Smartphones – provide an alternative channel to deliver education services and distance education.” (KeyIdeas). Smartphones are extremely useful in emergency scenarios. It not only allows a person in need to ask for assistance, but it also lets others to track for a missing person. Authorities can scan mobile phone signals to trace the whereabouts of wounded or stranded persons in the event of natural disasters or large-scale emergencies. Addiction Tips which is a website that features all the information you need to have a healthy and addiction-free life states, “Mobile phones offer great help to deal with emergency situations. It enables a person to call for help when in trouble, but also allows others to trace a lost person. (Addiction Tips).
To summarize, it is clear that the extensive use of smartphones has both negative and positive effects. Moreover, as time progresses, more effects will appear. The more people immerse their personal lives into digital media, the more privacy we give up.
Ilindra, Amar. “How Has Smartphones Made Our Life Easier?.” Geek Dashboard, http://www.geekdashboard.com, 27 March. 2020, www.geekdashboard.com/smartphone-made-our-life-easier/.
Imafidon, Casey. “10 Reasons You Shouldn’t Hand A Smartphone To Your Children.” Lifehack, http://www.lifehack.org, 27 April. 2015, https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-reasons-you-shouldnt-hand-smartphone-your-children.html
“Impact of Smartphones Over Society.” KeyIdeas, 11 October. 2017, www.keyideasinfotech.com/blog/impact-of-smartphone-on-society/.
Sparks, Hannah. “Your Phone Is Blinding You, Scientists Warn.” New York Post, Nypost.com, 13 August. 2018, https://nypost.com/2018/08/13/your-phone-is-blinding-you-scientists-warn/
“10 Positive Effects Of Mobile Phones (On Your Everyday Life).” Addiction Tips, n.d. www.addictiontips.net/phone-addiction/positive-effects-of-mobile-phones/. Accessed 30 Oct 2021.
This essay about Ixtapa Fine Mexican Cuisine Restaurant was written by Melany Mireles Medina in Fall 2021, while studying in the level 2 Writing course.
I’ve been looking for a really good Mexican restaurant because I love Mexican food, and some people recommended this restaurant to me, so I decided to go and try their food. The waiter was very attentive and let you choose the place where you want to sit, while you decide what to order they give you a small appetizer from the menu (each day is a different one). I ordered the “tacos chidos” and I’ve to say that they’re very similar to the Mexican tacos, I loved them!!!!
The tortilla surprised me, it’s the most difficult ingredient to find in the US and in this restaurant you find the best tortilla I’ve ever eaten in KC. Not only are there tacos, you can taste a lot of typical food from the center, north, south, tapatia and the coasts of Mexico, there is also good vegetarian Mexican food and the “tacos camellitos” are very very delicious. It’s family friendly, you can come with whoever you want, and you will have a good Mexican atmosphere. The music they play is the same that many people in Mexico listen to. The only thing that disappointed me about the menu is that there are no typical Mexican drinks (without alcohol), otherwise the place is beautiful, very clean, and most importantly the food is really delicious, I recommend this restaurant 100% if you want to eat real Mexican food.