Cellphone addicts grow in number
Smartphone addictions are on the rise, and students and faculty are identifying drawbacks that come with being constantly connected.
A report from analytics firm Flurry suggests a rapid increase in smartphone addicts, people who open apps on their smartphones 60 or more times each day, according to an April 23 Washington Post blog post.
Regular smartphone users — about 784 million people — open apps 16 times a day or less, while about 176 million people have been labeled addicts, according to the report.
Sophomore government and politics major Kelsey Rutherford said while she doesn’t think people are addicted to their phones, they are certainly overusing them.
“Cell phones simply do make life easier,” Rutherford said. “Being able to find out information instantly is an absolute luxury that every single one of us takes for granted. Imagine not being able to find an address instantly or look up that important email right away.”
The Pew Internet Project’s most recent research shows that 90 percent of Americans own cell phones. And of those who own cell phones, almost 70 percent admitted to checking for messages without hearing or feeling the device go off.
The blogger noted while there is no medical evidence for smartphone addiction, researchers have found evidence indicating it can cause dysfunction, such as the loss of the ability to pay attention.
Anna Clayton, a sophomore communication and psychology major said she thinks phone addiction might be common because people feel obligated to be in constant communication.
“I use my phone mostly for quick looks through social media, like at Facebook, Twitter or Instagram every now and then, and also texting,” Clayton said. “I check because it’s there.”
Clayton said she wouldn’t mind leaving her phone off for a day and might find it liberating.
Sharon O’Malley, a lecturer in the journalism school, has a zero-tolerance policy for cell phone use and asks that her students turn them off during her classes.
“It’s been my experience from teaching that you really can’t do two things at once,” O’Malley said.
O’Malley said she thinks there are positive sides to having cell phones, but it’s not healthy to be “as attached to them as we are.” Cell phones can divide people’s attention and prevent them from focusing, she said.
Clayton said she walks into people all the time around the campus because she is distracted when looking at her phone.
Rutherford said she usually stops in the middle of the sidewalk if she is trying to text while walking.
“My friends always tease me that I can’t multitask,” she said. “If I need to text while walking, I’ll slow down a lot to concentrate on the text.”
Distracted walking can be dangerous, especially on a campus with construction, cars and bikes everywhere, she said.
It’s important for people to use their cell phones responsibly and to pay attention to their surroundings, O’Malley said.
Clayton said she thinks people might have gotten used to walking around all of the texting walkers on the campus. But there is one exception, she said.
“Crossing the street and texting is never a good idea anywhere,” Clayton said.
