Running Head: IMPACT OF CELLPHONE TECHNOLOGY ON HEALTH 1 IMPACT OF CELLPHONE TECHNOLOGY ON HEALTH 4 Impact of Cellphone Technology on Health Introduction The dynamics of communication has been influenced greatly by cell phone technology. Continuous advancements in technology have changed the usage patterns of the devices as well as how frequent it is used. The small computers make communication easy because a person can respond to someone else instantly. However, with all these benefits, the technology comes along with some negative impacts on the health of an individual or user of the device. Socially it affects interpersonal skills as well as health. This paper focuses on the impact of cell phone technology on health. Cell phones depend on electromagnetic radiations to receive and transfer data. During data transmission, the device gives off harmful radiations, which affect human health. The radiations cannot be felt and when released, they penetrate the body affecting the DNA and structure of the human cell. (Borelli, 2013). Radiations are of different frequencies and wavelengths. Several diseases are induced by radiations such as infertility, hearing impairment, and brain tumors. Hearing impairment can result from loud disturbance. Tumors result when the tissues of the body grow abnormally. Cell phone radiations leads to the death of cells and during replacement by other cells tumors may develop. Some tend to be cancerous such as the malignant brain tumor while others are non-cancerous like the benign tumor. Young children are at a greater risk than adults are because their skulls and neural systems are not fully developed. This increases the rate of absorption of the electromagnetic waves into their bodies. During the installation of the WLAN, a network is created through the use of a router and the connected devices communicate through the network. During data transmission, electromagnetic radiations are emitted and the presence of a child around may result in a major impact on the human physical structure of the child. Cell phones not only carry important personal data but also germs that are harmful to the heath of a person. Most people who use cell phones tend to place them in different places where they may collect germs. A report from researches indicated that one in every six cell phones is contaminated with some sort of fecal matter. (Elsevier Health Sciences, 2011). This is probably because the owners of the phones do not wash their hands thoroughly with soaps after leaving the toilet. The bacteria found in some of the cell phones were the E. coli bacteria which is normally found in the fecal region. Ingestion of the bacteria leads to severe health problems such as diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. Dirty hands also has different kinds of bacteria which can contaminate the phone. Thus upon sharing the phone with another person, the bacteria may be transferred leading to health problems if the person fails to clean ...

1. Running Head: IMPACT OF CELLPHONE TECHNOLOGY ON
HEALTH 1
IMPACT OF CELLPHONE TECHNOLOGY ON HEALTH 4
Impact of Cellphone Technology on Health
Introduction
The dynamics of communication has been influenced
greatly by cell phone technology. Continuous advancements in
technology have changed the usage patterns of the devices as
well as how frequent it is used. The small computers make
communication easy because a person can respond to someone
else instantly. However, with all these benefits, the technology
comes along with some negative impacts on the health of an
individual or user of the device. Socially it affects interpersonal
skills as well as health. This paper focuses on the impact of cell
phone technology on health.
Cell phones depend on electromagnetic radiations to
receive and transfer data. During data transmission, the device
gives off harmful radiations, which affect human health. The
radiations cannot be felt and when released, they penetrate the
body affecting the DNA and structure of the human cell.
(Borelli, 2013). Radiations are of different frequencies and
wavelengths. Several diseases are induced by radiations such as

2. infertility, hearing impairment, and brain tumors. Hearing
impairment can result from loud disturbance. Tumors result
when the tissues of the body grow abnormally. Cell phone
radiations leads to the death of cells and during replacement by
other cells tumors may develop. Some tend to be cancerous such
as the malignant brain tumor while others are non-cancerous
like the benign tumor.
Young children are at a greater risk than adults are because
their skulls and neural systems are not fully developed. This
increases the rate of absorption of the electromagnetic waves
into their bodies. During the installation of the WLAN, a
network is created through the use of a router and the connected
devices communicate through the network. During data
transmission, electromagnetic radiations are emitted and the
presence of a child around may result in a major impact on the
human physical structure of the child.
Cell phones not only carry important personal data but also
germs that are harmful to the heath of a person. Most people
who use cell phones tend to place them in different places
where they may collect germs. A report from researches
indicated that one in every six cell phones is contaminated with
some sort of fecal matter. (Elsevier Health Sciences, 2011).
This is probably because the owners of the phones do not wash
their hands thoroughly with soaps after leaving the toilet. The
bacteria found in some of the cell phones were the E. coli
bacteria which is normally found in the fecal region. Ingestion
of the bacteria leads to severe health problems such as diarrhea,
vomiting, and fever. Dirty hands also has different kinds of
bacteria which can contaminate the phone. Thus upon sharing
the phone with another person, the bacteria may be transferred
leading to health problems if the person fails to clean his or her
hands thoroughly.
The health of the eyes is also affected by bright screens
and small texts. Since most cell phones are handheld which
means that their viewing is at a close range, the user is required
to constantly focus and reposition the device to process the text

3. and graphics on the screen. According to the Vision Council,
most people in the United States spend six to eight hours a day
glued to their smartphones. As the frequency and length of
usage time increases, the greater the potential of getting vision
problems. (Borelli, 2013). Irritation and redness of the eye
result from eye strain. Blurred vision, neck pain as well as
headaches are also associated with the too much use of cell
phones.
Other than vision problems, cell phones also increase the
risk of chronic pain. In most cases, the device is required to be
in our hands when in use like when sending an email or a text
message. The phone is normally held between the neck and the
shoulder. Rapid responses to text messages in that position may
result in the inflammation of the joints causing pains. Back pain
is the most common for frequently mobile users. (Naeem, 2014).
In extreme cases, cell phone usage can cause a person to arch
the neck or develop a strange relaxation posture.
Traffic hazards are also associated with cell phone usage.
Some people do not realize the dangers accompanying with
using a cell phone while driving. In most countries, almost 60
drivers talk once on their phones within a week when driving.
The usage may be receiving a call, sending a text message or
replying to an email. Such activities hold the attention of the
driver more than any other distractors. The driver ends up
paying less attention to the road, which can be dangerous
(Borelli, 2013). The younger drivers who are around their early
and late 20s pose the highest levels of cell phone distractions
leading to a high rate of fatal accidents. The blame does not
only fall on the drivers but also pedestrians who are always on
their phones.
Conclusion
Despite cell phones making communication easy due to
their wireless nature, they also have several health effects on
humans. Their dependence on electromagnetic waves has been
associated with hearing impairment and the development of
tumors. They also carry along with germs, cause traffic hazards

4. and also vision problems. Strategies to reduce health impacts
should be implemented. For instance, cell phones should be
severally cleaned with disinfectants to kill germs. The vision
problems may also be reduced by monitoring the distance
between the phone and the eyes. Drivers should also take
precautionary measures and avoid using cell phones while
driving.
References
Borelli, L. (2013). 5 Reasons Why Cellphones Are Bad For
Your Health. Retrieved 30 September 2019, from
https://www.medicaldaily.com/5-reasons-why-cellphones-are-
bad-your-health-247624
Elsevier Health Sciences. (2011). Dangerous bacteria found on
cell phones of hospital patients. ScienceDaily. Retrieved 30
September 2019, from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110531115416.htm
Naeem, Z. (2014). Health risks associated with mobile phones
use. Retrieved 30 September 2019, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4350886/
Cell Phone Technology-Social Behavior
Cell phone Technology- Social Behaviors

5. In today’s life, cell phones have become a big part of our daily
lives. Like everything, it comes with pros and cons of our life.
Cell phones affect many different aspects such as health,
relationships, social behavior and of course the environment. In
this section, I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
the use of cell phones and the effects it has on society and
specifically how it affects humans’ behavior. Some of the key
points for this discussion is the exposure of children to this
technology and the effect that it has on them, privacy, decrease

6. in social interaction, and environmental impact.
People have become very dependent on cell phones, which has
made people stop developing skills since they rely on cell
phones for these tasks. For example, nowadays most of us do
not even know our cell phone number nor the cell phone number
of our family members, and it does not stop here, we have
stopped looking at the street names and we rely on peoples
review to make a simple dinner reservation (Boylan, 2014).
Another issue that cell phones have caused is the increase in
stolen individual’s data due to phone hacks or the use of
applications that gather information from our cell phones
without our knowledge. Cell phones are so central to our lives
that we do not stop to think about how much personal
information our cell phones have. Cell phones not only have our
birth date blood type, height, weight, house address, work
address, credit, and debit card information, fingerprints/face
recognition; it also has our daily routines as locations, where do
we work, where do we go after work, it knows what we read and
what we listen, etc. With all this information added in our cell
phones, it is extremely easy for hackers or applications to have
access to all this sensitive information. Also, when we
download applications to our cell phone we are giving them
access to some of our data. Which leads the application
developers to sell this information to companies without the
individual’s knowledge. Our cell phones have more information
about us than we acknowledge and companies can make a profit
from it. If you notice on most applications they want access to
your camera or/and microphone. This leads up to hackers
getting access to photos or ear dropping on the conversation
through the microphone. There has been an increase in the
application that big companies such as Walmart, Target, and
Best Buy make it seem so convenient by saying “you can scan
the product to see the price by using the application” which
required the individual to allow access to the camera and photos
(Deutsche, 2017). These little sneaky moves open the doors to
hackers and unmoral photos that may be of an individual’s

7. phone to be stolen.
Sadly, the use of social media has enabled users to express their
opinions without thinking of the consequences. By the use of
the applications within our cell phone, social media is available
24/ 7. The reason behind this is that people hide behind an
“avatar” and they feel that they can make any statement
regardless if it is moral or not. Social media helps individuals to
hide and express themselves as if they were face to face with
someone. The individual would have to think about the
consequences that come with words and actions. There is a
misconception that we can have another personality on the
internet and social media, like if its social media there were not
social rules (Hyman, 2014). As we see in today’s society, there
is an increase of posts or comments that celebrities and
politicians have made in their past and it is coming back to
haunt them and in some cases has ruined their careers.
Further, when we share information through social media, the
owner of the content loses control. Once the information is
loaded in the system, the content can be shared or exploited
without the owner realizing it.
Besides, social interactions may not be as straightforward as
they use to be. Nowadays our primary means of communication
is a text message, we do not use the cell phone to talk as we use
too. It seems that today’s technology has eliminated our skills
to talk and communicate; it is more convenient to send a text
message or an email than to grab the phone and talk in real-
time. This type of communication can lead to misunderstanding.
When texting sometime things are taking out of context and may
appear to some as flirting but in reality, the individual may just
be a nice person. That is the difference when interacting with
people in the society; you can see body language and facial
expression while talking. This leaves no room for assumptions
and from anything to be taken out of context.
As for individuals socializing and getting to interact with new
people has decreased significantly due to cell phones. Today, at
your fingertips they have applications that you can look for

8. people you are compatible with, share the same interests and
hobbies. Before all this technology, people would go interact
with others through school, parties, get together, and just
hanging out with friends. I would like to add to this that in
today’s time everyone is busy which makes interaction with
other limited. Also, in new school models and work models
(where you can study and work from home), the social
interaction is non-existent, causing that most of our
communication with the outside world is through technology
(Boylan, 2014). Cell phones have given us access to social
networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, these
applications allow us to interact with the world by posting
pictures or statuses of what people are doing. These
applications are a good way to communicate with friends and
family that may be abroad and when communication is not easy
due to time differences. On the other hand, if the above issues
are not a problem, I see these applications as a disadvantage
because it can cause jealousy or envy among people you share
these precious moments. In addition, several comments can be
taken out of contexts, not to mention that companies are using
social media to determine the type of person you may be before
they hire you, even the immigration office of the US is using
the social media as means to gather data from people coming to
the US under a VISA (Geser, 2005).
Cell phones are having a negative influence on social
interaction in today’s environment. Some interesting question
has arisen from this topic. Would you break up by sending a
text message? How much of your social life do you conduct
through text messages? Do you schedule face-to-face time? Do
you track where your friends are by texting? Do you have
conversations with text messages (Hyman, 2014)? In recent
studies that have taken place about cellphones, usage in
different age categories reviles some interesting information.
The study analysis individuals from ages 18-24, 25-34, 35-49,
and 50-68. The research concluded that young adults use
cellphones in many different ways. Such as text-messaging

9. adults is the mean of communication with others as for older
adults, they may average 10 text messages per day. As for
calling, it is surprisingly almost the same. About 90 percent of
both age groups got less than 10 calls per day (Hyman, 2014).
Therefore, the quick message is that younger adults are texting
in more situations, using it to contact friends and see texting as
acceptable. On the other hand, some people try to explain young
adult’s behavior as they are socially interacting by using their
cell phones and it is not an addiction. Older adults, should not
make judgments about cell phone use in younger adults, we
should withhold the negative evaluations of people constantly
checking their cell phones. Perhaps instead we can respect the
cell phone and internet natives. These young adults have grown
up using cell phones and the internet (Hyman, 2014).
The effect of cell phone’s on children at a young age is a very
big topic in today’s time. Just as cell phones affecting young
adults and older adults, we must not forget nor ignore the major
effect on children at a young age. Children have become able to
operate a cell phone at a very young age. This is mainly to the
fact that in most cases for a family to obtain a good life, they
require that both parents work, which leads to kids getting less
attention from their parents. After long days at work, some
parents give their kids' cell phone/iPad to play a game or watch
videos to make them stop crying or keep them occupied (Sagoff,
2008). These behavior habits are creating an addiction in
children. This has created many effects in today’s society,
children are having health issues because they do not stay active
they would rather play video games or any device. This has
caused an increase in obesity and medical conditions occurring
in children at young ages. For example, low vitamin D due to
lack of doing outdoor activities. Anger issues because they are
not interacting with others at a young age they always think
everything has to be there way and once it does not happen,
they have a tantrum (Sagoff, 2008).
Understanding that within society there are two types of human
beings, the ones that make decisions based on practicality and

10. the ones that make decisions based on the thought process an
ethics values (Boylan, 2014). Nowadays, all our decisions have
larger implications than they used to have; by buying a product
we tend to support a way of farming, a way of employment, an
ideology, etc. Humans must understand their relationship with
the environment as a way to move forward with technological
advancements while using resources rationally and preserving
nature. This will require a complete renovation of our current
economic and political structure. If we continue to encourage
development and expansion, we will see major effects not only
in the climate change and in ecosystems, but also in societies
and in the way we relate to each other (Boylan, 2014). Finally,
the cell phone has many effects on society and the most affected
is the environment. On the topic of cell phone and environment,
it has many effects that many may not be aware of. For
example, a cell phone recyclable contains battery and carbon
footprints (Boylan, 2014). Nowadays, cell phone carries status
in society. People always want the great and latest cell phone
and that shows people what they have. In today’s market, cell
phones cost a lot of money with most starting at 999 dollars.
The company is introducing cell phones along with many other
electronic devices every year. Which causes a spike in
environment issue because they need to recycle cell phone
better.
In conclusion, cell phones have made people’s lives easier but
at a cost. If people are not careful, it causes addiction and
isolation from society. With all this being said always be aware
and try your best not to become addicted and aware of all the
possible impact that may occur to your life. As adults, it is our
responsibility to use cell phones wisely and if you are a parent,
it is your job to limit cell phone usage to your child.

11. References
Boylan, M. (2014). Environmental ethics (2nd ed.). Chichester,
West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell.
Deutsche Welle. (n.d.). Smartphones - not so smart for the
planet: DW: 06.03.2017. Retrieved from
https://www.dw.com/en/smartphones-not-so-smart-for-the-
planet/a-37824142
Geser, H. (2005). Book Review: The Mobile Connection. The
Cell Phone’s Impact on Society. New Media & Society, 7(2),
283–286. https://doi.org/10.1177/146144480500700208
Hayman, Ira Cell Phones are Changing Social Interaction.
(n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-
mishaps/201401/cell-phones-are-changing-social-interaction
Sagoff, M. (2008). The economy of the earth: philosophy, law,
and the environment. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Impact of Cellphone on Relationships
Cell phone usage have an impact on so many things in our lives.
Between health and behavior, our relationships are no different.
They are hugely influenced by the usage of our phones. We
have become so dependent on cell phones that we allow them to
take over our lives and dictate our relationships. They provide

12. better communication between parents and children, they allow
teens to feel more socially accepted, teens become more
dependent on them, they have become a huge distraction
between users and their significant others, and they cause
couples to restrict the usage of their phones. Like many things,
there is always a positive outlook as well as a negative outlook.
We have to learn how to balance out the good with the bad and
learn how to use cell phones appropriately.
Parents often struggle with communication between their
adolescent children and themselves. Teenagers and their phones
are often inseparable. Teenagers use their phones for
everything. That is how they are easily reached by anyone. In
2008, it was reported that 79% of teens owned a cell phone
(Weisskirch, 2011). This allows for more parents to
communicate and keep track with their teens. That is important
because many times, as children get to certain ages, they began
to go places without their parents, and this can cause parents to
worry about their safety. Cell phones serve as a portable means
of communication. Parents will not have to worry about their
child or their whereabouts. They can simply pick up the phone
and call their child and make sure that everything is okay. Many
cell phones have built in tracking services too. This can serve as
a way for parents to keep track of their child and make sure that
they aren’t getting into any trouble or dangerous situations.
The communication aspect of cell phones is what
influences the relationship between the teens and their parents.
Being able to contact your child whenever is a great thing for
parents, but doing it excessively will cause teens to become
agitated and secretive. A survey was done and it was determined
that parents experienced greater communication and closeness
when the teens initiated the calls and the calls were more about
social topics. Teens found greater conflict when their parents
contacted them about school work or to track their locations
(Weisskirch, 2011). Teens would rather contact their parents
and talk about what they want to talk about instead of their
parents contacting them about what they deem as a negative

13. topic. This can be difficult for parents because their main
thought is to contact their child when they believe that they
need to either get information or tell them some information.
Teens want to initiate the conversation on their own terms. This
does build a better relationship between parents and teens.
Cell phones also allow families to become more organized.
This is done by making sure that everyone is on the same page
when it comes to important events or things getting done. Many
families have started to create group text messages. This helps
with making sure chores get done and knowing who will
perform what task. If a parent sends their child to the store to
pick up some groceries, they can send them a text with a
grocery list and their teen will know what is needed and won’t
forget anything. This can take the place of notes being left
around the house and it also ensures that any message is
received and seen by their teen.
There is always a fight between teens and being socially
accepted by their peers. In Japan, students have become very
dependent on their Keitai, which is a Japanese phone. Many of
the students reported that being able to email on their Keitai
was useful for their friendships (Kamibeppu & Sugiura, 2005).
Many students that participated in the survey stated that they
found themselves not being able to live without their Keitai and
that they use their Keitai to send emails to their friends more
than 10 times a day. Even though this was done in Japan, many
of our teenagers experience the same affects. Cell phones are
used to keep in contact with friends outside of school. This is
how teens build relationships when school is out, including
weekends and summer break. This is their main source of
communication. They are able to get to know people, and in
return, they feel more socially accepted.
Teens also struggle with peer relationships. They are very
dependent on the relationships between them and their peers.
They want to build friendships with others. This can cause them
to become dependent on their phones. If teens feel that their
peer relationship attachment is poor, they will look for ways to

14. satisfy that need. They will do this by establishing and
maintaining peer relations via social networking services
activities on their cell phones (You & Lim, 2019). This means
that when teens feel that their peer relationships aren’t what
they want to be, they will use social media to help build those
relationships. This is done on their cell phones and this cause a
dependency on the phones. This goes along with teens feeling
socially accepted with their cell phones. They use their phones
to build those friendships and this, in return, make them feel
better about their social standings.
Cell phones have become a huge distraction between
couples. Many times, couples are together physically, but not
mentally due to one or both of them being on their cell phones.
This is known as phubbing in the article, and it has an impact
on the satisfaction of the relationship. A relationship is
considered satisfying when both parties are physically and
mentally available to their partner. This means that when they
are together, they are giving each other their undivided
attention. Phubbing causes problems in relationships (Roberts &
David, 2015). People don’t want to feel ignored when they are
in the presence of someone else. This causes a negative feelings
within those relationships. People allow their phones to be more
important than the people that should matter most. This is where
the problem comes in. The phones aren’t the issue, but the
constant use and dependency on them is what causes the issues.
This can make your significant other not feel wanted or needed.
The use of the cell phones cause conflict within the
relationship.
Relationships can be negatively impacted by cell phones
because they can allow trust to be broken by individuals. Many
times, cell phones can be used as a way to be unfaithful to your
partner. It also can serve as a means to be accused of things that
you aren’t doing. If your significant other feels that you are
spending too much time on your cell phone, it can cause issues
within the relationship. This will cause couples to place
restrictions on the usage of them. Many couples like to dictate

15. who their significant other can and cannot communicate with on
their cell phone. They also like to establish what they feel is
appropriate use and what they feel is not. Many couples set
rules in place and this helps them to avoid the repercussions of
monitoring calls and texts that may be considered inappropriate
(Miller-Ort, et al, 2012). This can help eliminate issues that
may arise from the lack of trust. If couples don’t set the rules in
place, they can end up doing things that can cause conflict
within their relationship. There is a direct correlation between
the satisfaction with cell phone usage and the relationship
(Miller-Ort, et al, 2012). If couples are satisfied with how they
are using their cell phones, their relationship will be in good
standings. If they are having problems with their cell phone
usage, then they will have issues within their relationship. This
is a major impact on their relationship.
Cell phone usage is a huge part of our lives every day.
Many people will consider it to have a direct impact on our
interpersonal relationships. Many people believe that having a
cell phone is more beneficial than harmful. This can be true due
to the benefits of being able to have an open source of
communication at all times, however, when it is used in excess,
it can be very detrimental to our relationship and often times
our health. Our health and relationships are link together and
cell phone usage can impact both in many different ways.
Learning how to use your phone in a positive way, along with in
moderation, can be exactly what we need to eliminate some of
the negative impacts and boost the positive impacts. We can’t
allow it to take over our life, but enhance it like it was created
to do.
References
Kamibeppu, K., & Sugiura, H. (2005, June 6). Impact of the
Mobile Phone on Junior High-School Students’ Friendships in
the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. Retrieved from
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cpb.2005.8.121
Miller-Ort, A. E., Kelly, L., & Duran, R. L. (2012, January 30).

16. The Effects of Cell Phone Usage Rules on Satisfaction in
Romantic Relationships. Retrieved from
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01463373.2012.6
42263
Nurullah, & Sadat, A. (2009, October 4). The Cell Phone as an
Agent of Social Change. Retrieved from
https://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=102065004071023
07709201001407203107705400806708405203908808608112111
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97001031069088002093019085109076064112067027083041067
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0017113069006112001001&EXT=pdf
Roberts, J. A., & David, M. E. (2015, August 15). My life has
become a major distraction from my cell phone: Partner
phubbing and relationship satisfaction among romantic partners.
Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563215
300704
Weisskirch , R. S. (2011, July 18). No Crossed Wires: Cell
Phone Communication in Parent-Adolescent Relationships.
Retrieved from
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cyber.2009.0455
You, S., & Lim, S. A. (2019). Effect of Parental Negligence on
Mobile Phone Dependency Among Vulnerable Social Groups:
Mediating Effect of Peer Attachment. Psychological Reports,
122(6), 2050–2062. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294118799339
Running head: THE IMPACT OF CELL PHONES ON
BEHAVIOR 1
THE IMPACT OF CELL PHONES ON BEHAVIOR
2

17. The Impact of Cell Phones on Behavior
Have you ever let your child use your cell phone just to
keep them entertained? If you are a parent like me, I am sure
you are guilty of doing just that. I know I am. Have you ever
stopped to think of the potential harm that you may be doing
though? With the rapid advancements in technology, kids these
days are being exposed to smartphones increasingly at a
younger age. It is not uncommon to see children that are barely
old enough to hold a cellphone, let alone operate one. I know
most parents do not see a problem with this practice, especially
if the child is learning something new. Unfortunately, there is a
darker side to this all too familiar story. The use of smartphones
by children can have tremendous effects on their behavior
because smartphones are directly linked with the development
of Attention Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The use of
smartphones by children has also been attributed to the

18. development of dyslexia, various sleeping disorders, and
problems mimicking that of an addiction.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have published two
studies in recent history concerning children and smartphones
(Edwards, 2017). The first study, conducted in 2011, showed a
direct correlation between the increase in ADHD diagnosis with
the increase in reported screen time by the parents (Edwards,
2017). They conducted a follow-up study in 2016 that, not only
confirmed their original data but showed the largest increase in
ADHD cases reported to children that are born into lower-class
families (Edwards, 2017). Putting all this information together,
it is reasonable to conclude that smartphone use by children is
potentially dangerous. Not only does it increase the likelihood
of developing issues with attention, but it is also increasing the
likelihood of developing additional behavioral problems in the
future.
To understand the link between smartphone technology and
the development of childhood behavioral, we investigate the
published works of Doctor Hosokawa and Doctor Katsura of
Japan. Throughout their research, Doctor Hosokawa and Doctor
Katsura were able to establish a link between childhood
behavioral issues and the duration of time spent on smartphone
devices (Hosokawa, Katsura, 2018). The study concluded that
children who spend longer durations of time on smartphones
have a significantly higher chance of developing short or long-
term emotional problems (Hosokawa, Katsura, 2018). Unusual
mood swings, extreme lows followed by extreme highs are all
common side effects of prolonged use (Hosokawa, Katsura,
2018). Reports of short-term outbursts where more prevalent in
children who reported using smartphones with longer durations
(Hosokawa, Katsura, 2018). On a good note, however, the
emotional outburst was found to dissipate once the usage of
smartphones was removed, and the child no longer had access to
the device (Hosokawa, Katsura, 2018). While this part of the
study is good news for parents, some problems that may develop
that just will not go away.

19. Doctors Maja Ružić-Baf and Andrea Debeljuh are
professors at the University of Juraj Dobrila of Pula, Faculty of
Educational Sciences in Pula, Croatia (Ružić-Baf, Rajović,
Debeljuh, 2017). Their associate, Ranko Rajović, is a professor
at the University of Primorska, Faculty of Education in Koper,
Slovenia (Ružić-Baf, Rajović, Debeljuh, 2017). Together they
have published many peer-reviewed papers recorded in the
Croatian Scientific Bibliography Database (CROSBI)
concerning early childhood development and the effects of
smartphones thereof (Ružić-Baf, Rajović, Debeljuh, 2017).
Their research proves that children are spending more time
online using smartphone devices (Ružić-Baf, Rajović, Debeljuh,
2017). This type of behavior, they argue, promotes a sedentary
lifestyle and an overall decrease in movement altogether
(Ružić-Baf, Rajović, Debeljuh, 2017). This may lead to certain
types of disorders such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia,
especially among children starting the first grade (Ružić-Baf,
Rajović, Debeljuh, 2017). As a parent, some things to watch out
for in your child is their difficulty reading and/or writing
(Ružić-Baf, Rajović, Debeljuh, 2017). Other areas of concern
may be a difficulty with spelling and/or the inability to translate
their thoughts to paper (Ružić-Baf, Rajović, Debeljuh, 2017).
Additionally, as a result of continuous and long-term exposure,
children may have severe difficulty in making arithmetical
calculations without the aid of a calculator (Ružić-Baf, Rajović,
Debeljuh, 2017). With all these problems associated with the
use of a smartphone, we are still just scratching the surface. The
use of smartphones by children may also affect their quality of
sleep.
According to a recent study, adolescents that own
smartphones will sleep less on school days than their peers
(Schweizer, Barrense-Dias, Akre, Suris, Berchtold, Schweizer,
2017). In addition to sleeping less than non-owners, long-term
smartphone owners will sleep less than new owners of
smartphones as well (Schweizer, Barrense-Dias, Akre, Suris,
Berchtold, Schweizer, 2017). Parents may be able to identify

20. whether their child is getting enough sleep by looking out for
the signs (Schweizer, Barrense-Dias, Akre, Suris, Berchtold,
Schweizer, 2017). Signs may include problems at school, low
grades, difficulty in concentrating, and unusual daytime
drowsiness (Schweizer, Barrense-Dias, Akre, Suris, Berchtold,
Schweizer, 2017). While most parents would see the obvious
cure to these problems as simply taking their smartphone away,
they may find that easier said than done (Schweizer, Barrense-
Dias, Akre, Suris, Berchtold, Schweizer, 2017). If your child
has been using their smartphone device for many years,
addiction-like symptoms are likely to occur.
According to a 2016 study conducted by the World Health
Organization (WHO), children spend 3.3 hours daily with their
smartphone, and 85% of them treat their smartphone as the most
important thing in their lives (Marieta, Melinda, Monika, Csilla-
Júlia, & I., 2016). In today’s modern society, it seems that
smartphones have become a part of our everyday lives.
However, in the case of children and smartphones, it may just
have negative consequences (Marieta, Melinda, Monika, Csilla-
Júlia, & I., 2016). In the case of 256 school-aged children, with
age between 9-16 years, this just may prove to be the case. The
practitioners of this study used a questionnaire that revealed
demographic data of the students, as well as a section used for
self-reporting free-time, physical activity, and smartphone-use
related habits (Marieta, Melinda, Monika, Csilla-Júlia, & I.,
2016). The results showed, conclusively, that children who
placed a higher value on a smartphone-use scale reported more
deprivation related symptoms (Marieta, Melinda, Monika,
Csilla-Júlia, & I., 2016). Furthermore, younger children proved
to be at a higher risk of developing smartphone-use habits than
the older children did (Marieta, Melinda, Monika, Csilla-Júlia,
& I., 2016). Another interesting find was that children who
reported less physical activity were at a higher risk for
developing deprivation symptoms (Marieta, Melinda, Monika,
Csilla-Júlia, & I., 2016). No matter what the age group,
however, all reported users of smartphones had significantly

21. higher results of deprivation than those children who reported
not to use a smartphone (Marieta, Melinda, Monika, Csilla-
Júlia, & I., 2016). The report concluded with children that own
their smartphones, in general, “utilize them from an
increasingly early age for relationships, movie watching, and
playing” (Marieta, Melinda, Monika, Csilla-Júlia, & I., 2016).
Furthermore, smartphone use has become “a rapidly increasing
habit raising even the level of addiction among children,
backing such components of a healthy lifestyle as physical
activity and different forms of sports” (Marieta, Melinda,
Monika, Csilla-Júlia, & I., 2016). The excessive misuse of
smartphones by children might become permanent and continue
to be a risk-associated behavior among school-aged kids
(Marieta, Melinda, Monika, Csilla-Júlia, & I., 2016).
In conclusion, the use of smartphones by children is
dangerous, because they have been associated with multiple
problems to include ADHD, dyslexia, sleep disorders, and
addiction. I hope this has opened your eyes to the potential
dangers that exist, what to look for with those dangers, and
learned some useful information along the way. With all these
issues, you should have noticed, have a common theme. That is
the frequency and duration of use. Like all things, moderation is
the key, and allowing your child screen time via a smartphone
device should be no different. If you choose to allow them the
use of a smartphone, please be smart about it. Monitor their use.
If you do, hopefully, we can make a change for the good, and
every child can benefit.

22. References
Edwards, C. (2017). Portable Device Fears Show Power of
Social Development: How do small screens impact young
minds? Communications of the ACM, 60(10), 21–22.
https://doi.org/10.1145/3131271
Hosokawa, R., & Katsura, T. (2018). Association between
mobile technology use and child adjustment in early elementary
school age. PLoS ONE, 13(7), 1–17.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199959
Ružić-Baf, M., Rajović, R., & Debeljuh, A. (2017). ICT, Digital
Rest (or Tiredness?) Spending Free Time in Front of a
Screen. TEM Journal, 6(4), 883–887.
https://doi.org/10.18421/TEM64-31
S., C., Marieta, G. G., Melinda, F., Monika, C., Csilla-Júlia, B.,
& I., G. G. (2016). Smartphone Use and Addiction Vulnerability
Related to Specificities of Physical Activity in School-Aged
Children. Acta Medica Marisiensis, 62, 91–92. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.devry.edu:5050/login.aspx?di
rect=true&db=a9h&AN=121629627&site=ehost-live
Schweizer, A., Barrense-Dias, Y., Akre, C., Suris, J.-C.,
Berchtold, A., Schweizer, A., & Berchtold, A. (2017).
Adolescents with a smartphone sleep less than their
peers. European Journal of Pediatrics, 176(1), 131–136.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-016-2823-6

23. GRADING RUBRIC
Content
Criteria
Points
Introduction and Conclusion
The introduction is clear and provides an overview of key issues
addressed in the
section. The team thesis and ethical context is clearly stated.
The conclusion
provides a summary of the argument and focuses on
recommendations and
future outlook.
15
Structure
The Team Draft is organized logically and has a clear
development trajectory.
The structure of the draft is in alignment with the Team Outline
and achieves
a level of consistency with the team documents.
15
Evidence and Topic Development
Concrete and detailed evidence is used to support claims and
develop the topic.
Evidence is used in a variety of ways and is appropriate to the
context.
15
Analysis and Critical Thinking
Thoughtful analysis is performed to help situate the evidence
within the team
argument and provide engagement with the topic.
15
Transitions and Unification
There are clear transitions and fluid use of structure and style
details to unify

24. individual sections to produce a cohesive argument and
recommendations.
10
Style and Format
Conventions are consistent and unified. The formatting adheres
to APA
standards. Citations are complete and properly formatted.