Your Cell Phone is my DrugFilm 315 Presentationby Nicole Fournier

It’s curious if Alexander Graham Bell knew in 1870 how

much his invention would impact modern society

Image: Sara Savoldelli

His idea of connecting two people would grow to be the start

of a new social addiction called the cell phone

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Today cell phones have become a part of our identity

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They’re the first things we see in the morning...

of 18-34 year olds check Facebook on their smart phones before leaving bed

28%

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They have become part of our love lives...

of Americans have interrupted sex to take a phone call

15%

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They even follow us to our most private spaces...

of Americans admit to usingtheir phone on the toilet

56% Image: kyknoord

We are addicted to our phones as they have become our

social lifelines

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9/10

Americans own a cell phone

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Of these owners: 32% of men and 23% of women

claim they can’t live without their cell phone

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of teenagers say their social lives would end without text messaging

47%

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We find ourselves in a social paradox where what used to keep us connected...

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...may actually be causing us to disconnect from the world around us

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And it’s partially because of the

attachment

we feel to our mobile devices

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“Students around the world said that media – and their

phones especially – were both emotionally and even

physically comforting” – CBC

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But in a world where 70% of people own a cell phone,

what are the implications of these attachments?

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Young cell phone users are more likely to experience

depression, cyber bullying and

sleeping disorders - CHCHmentors study

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Fertility issues and radiation exposure are increasing

as 60% of a phone’s radiation is absorbed by the user’s head

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Another problem – texting while driving – is twice as likely to cause an accident as drunk driving

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Yet over half of teenagers in a US study admitted to texting while driving

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It seems the inability to disconnect from our cell phones at the right times has caused both mental and physical

problems

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Brands have realized the

addiction we have to our mobile devices

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Twitter’s public launch in 2007 emphasized the ability to text updates and view tweets straight from your phone

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Other applications soon followed suit including Skype and Facebook

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Today countless applications lay just a text away from your phone

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With these new applications comes an increased social dependence on our mobile devices

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And mobile device providers encourage this dependence through slogans such as:

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iPhone – “There’s an app for that”

Blackberry “Love what you do”

We have shifted away from the original 1870 concept of a

phone to complex social devices with information at our fingertips

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Users are no longer just addicted to their phones but also to

their brands, and their apps

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My question to you is – in a world of social connectivity

through mobile devices, are you able to disconnect?

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How long could you go without a cell phone? A week? A day? An hour?

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With their addictive elements and negative effects on society both mentally and physically...

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... Have cell phones become the new social media version of a cigarette?

Image: Marius Mellebye 276ccm

Sources:

All photos from Flickr Creative Commons

Stats gathered from websites and inforgraphics listed below:“The Growth of Mobile: States and Figured that will shock you” - Youtube“How the world is using Cell phones” – Lauren Indvik“Social Media’s Most Important Tool: Your Cell Phone” – Sociological Marketing“Tech Addiction Symptoms Rife Among Students” – CBC“Obsessed with Facebook” – Mashable.com“Are You Obsessed With Your Cell Phone?” – Huffington Post“Driving While Texting” – Infographics show case“Hot Topic: Cell Phones” – CMCH Mentors“Yes, Mobile Phones go to the Bathroom” – Adage.com

Film 315 Presentation Slides By: Nicole Fournier

Image: Kevin Dooley