Social Problems Of Smartphones

Smartphones have become virtually vital in people’s lives. However, the growing number of people addicting to it is rapidly increasing at an alarming rate. Thus, it leads to smartphone addiction, so-called nomophobia, which has become a social problem among not only teenagers but also adults. According to the 2015 Trends in Consumer Mobility Report, 71% of mobile consumers say they sleep next to their smartphones and 35% of them say that the first thing they do in morning is to check their notifications (Huffman, 2015). Based on personal observation, smartphones does occupy a large amount of time among college students. Every day, students spend time texting, calling, and emailing, taking photos to serve personal and school’s purposes. Besides

The lack of face-to-face communication occurs and it seems like people are completely enjoying their virtual world and ignoring present reality. The type of behavior of smartphone addiction is considered a social problem. Before approaching this social problem in the society, imagine what life would have become without smartphones. There will be no virtual interaction, information is difficult to access, and all transaction would have to be done in person. Thus, people will work more productively, focus on having a real, quality conversation with other people, and enjoy what happening around them; however, they will perform the tasks at hand slower, have limited access to information as well as an ability to contact with

According to Tony Reinke, an author of Newton on the Christian Life: To Live is Christ, asserted that smartphone addiction habit does “pose one of the most pressing discipleship challenges in the church today” (Reinke, 2015). Smartphone brings temporary gratification but distract people from living their fullest moments. As a result, people will find themselves suffer from “a dispersed consciousness” and gradually cause the loss of worldview that separates Christians from receiving the Holy Spirit of Christ. Smartphone addiction can possible cause individuals to fall away from God. In other words, since smartphone plays a significant part in a society’ value, role, and norm, one way that people can benefit from the issue is to learn how to keep their priority, which gives God full attention as not to “be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Roman 12:2 NIV). Although the church use smartphone and other electronic devices to promote and spread the gospel of Christ to humanity, it requests listeners to put their phones away during every sermon. Hence, the practice enables everyone wholly focus on Christ, on the spiritual world and let the outside world and other business