Hi everyone! For semester two of Social Responsibility this year, I have chosen to do another inquiry project. I have chosen not to continue my previous subject though. My new subject will still be one that is strongly related to the overall subject of my last subject; tech. My question this time is “Are smart phones helping or hurting humans?”. This is an incredibly interesting question to me, as I use my phone a lot during the day. Knowing if this is helping or hurting me could go a long way to helping me improve my lifestyle.
My research rounds will go as follows:
- “What are smart phones, how do they work and what is their history?”
- “Are we addicted to our smart phones?”
- “Are smart phones helping or hurting society and the people within it?”
Some resources I might use are:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/smartphone-addiction-hypernatural-monitoring-technology-nomophobia-social-media-a8253191.html
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/01/smartphones-revolutionize-our-lives-but-at-what-cost/
https://www.govtech.com/products/How-Smartphones-Revolutionized-Society-in-Less-than-a-Decade.html
https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/smartphone.htm
I believe that this subject is incredibly relevant and contains very important information for everyone in my community and around the word, especially the younger generation. The smartphone is quite a recent invention and has quickly taken over our lives. Some people say it hurts us, others say it helps us. Hopefully my inquiry will be able to guide you to the correct answer and educate you on this huge part of the current generation of the human race.
Hi Victor,
Your question sounds smart. I guess we know that technology is helpful but we assume that phones are as well. I think of phones as on the go laptops or easy technology because they are more accessible and have relatively easier controls over laptops. This makes people use their phones more. This is especially true because phones are easy to carry around (in a pocket, purse, bag etc.) They could be helping society because they make communication easier, but i think they are very over powered. I don’t think that’s a problem though because having the smart phone in our society for a while has allowed us to adapt to its power. I think your steps all make sense to reach your answer and everything looks good.
Here are some (hopefully) helpful links
https://www.salon.com/2014/04/12/your_cellphone_is_killing_you_what_people_dont_want_you_to_know_about_electromagnetic_fields/
https://forums.oneplus.com/threads/smartphones-becoming-ridiculously-powerful.38823/
https://cellphones.procon.org/
Good luck!
Hi Victor,
That’s an interesting question you have! Times have changed quite drastically and quite quickly in recent years, and the introduction of smartphones is one of those major changes. Even though I’ve spent well over half of my life without a smartphone, and even slightly over half of my life without any type of portable cellphone at all, I can’t imagine my life without one. It helps me with so many things including looking up information easily and on the go, as well as its original main purpose: communication. However, I am sure that many people including myself also rely on their phone not only because of its usefulness, but because they have an attachment or addiction to it.
Therefore, I think it would be interesting to see the positive impact smartphones have had on society, as well as the mental and even physical dangers of addiction and what treatment there may be. For example, it can physically impact us due to poor posture and eye strain. Furthermore, it would be interesting to learn how smartphones have impacted the way humans communicate.
Here are some websites that may help you:
https://www.popsmartphone.com/pros-and-cons-of-smartphones/
https://www.govtech.com/products/How-Smartphones-Revolutionized-Society-in-Less-than-a-Decade.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/surprising-ways-smartphones-affect-our-brains-our-lives-ncna947566
Good luck!
Hi Victor,
I think in your first round it would also be interesting to understand how they work. This way you can also investigate some of the structural aspects like the light, the touch etc and whether these are good or bad for us.
Otherwise, great job, good plan and you’re ready to go. Have fun.
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