The Cell Phone - a Double Edged Sword

...

In the past, it was the complete opposite. Since kids of the previous generation did not have any electronic media for games, they mostly spent their time outside. In fact, there is evidence that kids from the previous generation were significantly healthier when compared to kids of the current generation. An article by Amir Khan on EverydayHealth states, “Researchers… found that kids today cannot run as fast or as far as their parents could at the same age, which researchers say is a dangerous harbinger of this generation’s future health…in the United States, kids’ cardiovascular health fell by an average of 6 percent every decade, and that overall, kids are 15 percent less fit than their parents' generation.” Also, when compared to the younger generation, the previous generation of kids were more involved in their studies. Since there wasn’t an application, such as a calculator, to spit out the answer to a math problem; the previous generation had to be deeply involved in their studies to stay ahead in school. Thus, the previous generation was full of hard working, responsible individuals who gave their all into everything they did. An article by Eddie Cuffin on EliteDaily.com says, “The Baby Boomer generation understood that the world doesn't owe them anything. No one is going to be there to spoon feed you through life and it is your responsibility to make something of yourself. They were a more independent generation, as they didn't really have much of a crutch to lean on in comparison to our generation” In short, when compared to the younger generation, the previous generation was physically and mentally tougher.

Communication is now in its prime with the younger generation. There are three main forms of communication in this generation, calling, texting, and FaceTime. A phone call can be made to virtually anywhere. The call quality is superb and the probability that calls drop is now close to zero. Texting is the bubonic plague of today- spreading to the farthest corners of the world and showing no end. Texting, also known as SMS and instant messaging, is revolutionary because it sends messages in seconds. FaceTime is a form of calling that can be made to anyone using an Apple device. This form of calling is popular because of virtual face to face video it uses. Undoubtedly, communication is superior in the current generation.

On the other hand, communication was modest in the previous generation, but there were several downsides to them. The main forms of communication were by landline, voice, or mail. The landline was a popular device with only one purpose- to call. The physical quality of landlines was decent and the call quality was good enough to get the job done. The problem with landlines was that they were not portable. Most of the time, landlines were screwed to a wall. So the wish for a portable phone was out of the question. Voice, obviously, worked well! Small towns and neighborhoods benefitted from this because, besides mail, this was the only way to communicate. The only downside to this was if there was a threat nearby, someone must tell a person before the situation goes south. Mail was by far the most popular. Messages could be sent and received from near and far. But the process the mail went through made it a risky form of communication. Mishaps happen in the postal service: a different address may receive a letter sent to someone else, a package may get lost in shipping, and mail could arrive torn to shreds because of shipping flaws. Overall, communication was dicey in the previous generation.

To summarize, cell phones have a profound effect on the younger generation when compared to the previous generation. Cell phones create an easy outlet to access information. The younger generation has information readily available to them at their fingertips. Although accessing information was not the easiest for the previous generation, it instilled hard work and responsibility into them. The applications on phones, such as games, create a variety of health issues that have not been seen until today. But for the previous generation, the lack of phones proved to be beneficial as they were some of the most athletic individuals of their generation. Communication has become very advanced in the world and the younger generation takes full advantage of it. The variety of calls and texts makes them more connected with the outside world and their friends. The previous generation had some forms of communication as well, but they were not reliable and are inefficient when compared to today. In the end, cell phones have turned the younger generation into something that was never predicted before.