Benson 1

Alanna Benson

Mrs. Cramer

Comp Pd. 2

14 April 2022

Phone Dependency

Technology has advanced society in a multitude of ways. One of the most

significant pieces of technology is cellphones, as 85% of Americans own one. Phones have

become a necessity in everyday life because everything a person needs is on a cell-phone.

Communication, work, games, social media, are all accessed through smartphones. Because

smartphones have a variety of assets, people tend to become dependent on their phone. This

leads to cellphone addictions which are extremely common and unhealthy. Phone dependency in

young adults and teens negatively affects their health mentally and physically, causing medical

problems, emotional issues, and disorders.

The majority teenagers experience boredom, or the avoidance of an

uncomfortable situation, these give teens reasons for the need of entertainment. It causes a

dependency on the phone, because people focus the majority of their attention on the phone.

Because of this, cellphone addictions have caused multiple medical problems including sleep

problems, reduced physical fitness, and unhealthy eating habits.(Wacks 1) Cellphones are easily

accessible. With just the click of a button, people have access to any social media platform, news

source, game etc. that they choose. This is why they are addictive, and like any addiction it has

unhealthy effects on humans. There is a correlation between excessive screen time and

insufficient sleep. Insufficient sleep results in a less productive day, and not getting good sleep is
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responsible for a number of problems among teens and adults. Excessive cellphone use also

causes higher perceived stress, mental distress, lowered physical activity, and lower muscle

mass/higher fat mass. (Alavi 3). Cellphone use is a large time waster and causes laziness that

results in teens sitting more and spending less time doing healthy activities like exercising and

going outside. This is one reason for the increase in obesity among young adults and teens.

People are unaware that smartphones have such a large impact on their health. This lack of

awareness is why cellphone addictions are so common, and ever increasing.

Some might disagree that cell-phones aren’t a reason for mental health issues

among teens because there are so many positives to cellphone use. On the outside, technology

looks like a good thing. It advanced society and made life easier for everyone. Especially now,

because humans have constant access to each other and it just makes everyday life flow

smoother. Also, people may argue the statistics that some humans aren’t that addicted to their

cellphones. Not everyone has a cellphone addiction. This is not the case, as the majority of

America does, in fact, have a cellphone addiction. And it is proven to have a toll on their mental

health.

Furthermore, excessive cellphone use not only causes medical problems, but it

also causes emotional issues. Mental health is a major effect of cellphone addictions, through

social media especially. There are several studies that have shown the huge correlation between

social media and mental health. Teenagers spend an excessive amount of time on social media it

consumes most of their thoughts and actions. In a study, “13% of people ages 12-17 reported

signs of depression due to social media, as well as 32% reported anxiety.” (Gutierrez) The

anxiety aspect of it is due to cellphone addiction. There is a constant need to always have a

cellphone. Fear of missing out on a notification, needing a phone if people don’t have someone
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to talk to in person, needing a cell-phone to be comfortable in public. These are all reasons why

phones and the addiction causes anxiety. The depression caused through social media is due to

having 24/7 access to everyone in the world. In a teen girl's point of view, she scrolls through

Instagram all day, sees models and celebrities with perfect bodies, flat stomachs, etc. This could

influence her image and self-worth. Causing depressive behavior and hating herself. Social

Media as a whole can make teens feel negative about themselves. It makes bullying a lot easier,

through apps like Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, people can say whatever they want. Receiving

rude comments and mean message could all affect someone's mental health.

As women are especially vulnerable to cellphone addiction, with 22.9% using

smartphones for more than 6 hours a day, women are more affected through social media,

struggling with depression and eating disorders, as mentioned previously. There is a pressure to

be perfect, that girls experience through the viewing of social media. The perception of how

someone fits into the world is a large part of how individuals define themselves. Their

appearance, their successes, what they like to do, the sports they play, the number of friends they

have. All of these aspects define a teenage girl's life and how they fit in. Through social media

people are able to view everyone's lives and their appearances and this affects mental health

through comparison. Comparing an individuals life to someone else's life and their successes is a

major effect social media has on teen girls' mental health. Because of the addiction it is an

ongoing issue that teenage girls continue to struggle with. The majority of the population

collectively uses smartphones and social media. So, it is extremely hard to just put down all of it.

To conclude, phone dependency is an overall negative problem that young

adults and teens experience. The addiction of smartphones is the reason for all these problems

associated with cellphone use. There is a loss of physical activity, depression and anxiety, and
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self-image and self-worth issues amongst the population. The dramatic reliance people have on

their smartphones is extremely unhealthy and affects them in all areas of life. And it is because

of the dependency that this can’t get better. Phones are used for everything and are a necessity

for everyday living. Until phones are not a necessity, these issues will prevail.
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Works Cited

Alavi, Seyyed Salman et al. "The psychometric properties of cellular phone dependency

questionnaire in students of Isfahan: A pilot study." Journal of education and health promotion

vol. 3 71. 23 Jun. 2014, doi:10.4103/2277-9531.134822

De-Sola Gutiérrez, José et al. "Cell-Phone Addiction: A Review." Frontiers in psychiatry vol. 7

175. 24 Oct. 2016, doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00175

Wacks Y and Weinstein AM (2021) Excessive Smartphone Use Is Associated With Health

Problems in Adolescents and Young Adults. Front. Psychiatry 12:669042. doi:

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.669042

Northwest Primary Care. www.nwpc.com/5-ways-technology-impacts-the-mental-health-of-

young-women/.