IndexPhysical and mental damageSocial interactionAcademic effectSmartphones, one of the most versatile and resourceful tools known to this generation, allowing you to deepen your understanding of the world around us surrounds and remain social with others. While it may seem like a useful and interactive tool, smartphone addiction negatively affects your life in the long term, both socially and mentally. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Physical and Mental HarmFirst of all, let's look at some statistics: Of the 7 billion people on earth, approximately 6 billion own a cell phone which is shocking because only 4.5 billion people have access to working toilets. So, what impact do these gadgets have on your body and brain? When you look at your phone, the angle of your spine is equivalent to that of an 8-year-old sitting on the back of your head, which is significant considering that the average time you spend on your cell phone each day is 4.7 hours. This, combined with the amount of time spent in front of a computer, has caused an increase in myopia, which is another term for nearsightedness. In North America, only a quarter of the population had myopia in 1970, but more than half now have it. But what is the mental damage you might ask? Take the Instagram app for example, every time we get a like on a photo, our brain is rewarded with little bursts of dopamine, which technically means addictive gratification, and eventually you are rewarded in the app with new content like more likes, comments and followers. This novelty creates something known as a compulsive cycle which appears to be the same cycle responsible for the behaviors caused by nicotine and cocaine. Social Interaction Now that I've looked at the damage cell phones have on the body and brain, let's look at the impact of cell phones on social interaction. Did you know that 93% of students between the ages of 13 and 21 report using their smartphone as a source of avoiding boredom rather than interacting with the people around them or simply reading a book. This concept has led to a new term called Nomophobia; the fear or anxiety of being without your phone. Many students use their phones as a source to converse with others via text, which has become a huge communication problem as many students seem to think it is the only way to engage in conversations rather than actual face-to-face interactions. A 2012 study found that the presence of a mobile device can cause people to have a negative impression of us. In the experiment, they paired conversation partners and had them discuss recent events for 10 minutes. Half of the couples had a visible cell phone and the other half had no phone. People with phones were seen as less relatable and more negative than people without phones. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayAcademic EffectFinally, the last major reason why a smartphone can impact a student's life is that it has a huge academic effect. When students study, whether at school or at home, their phone is always around them, which creates a big distraction and can lead to academic failure as students seem to spend more time on social media rather than studying. Additionally, students always tend to take their phone to bed before sleeping as a way to pass the..