Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Phone

The mobile phone has become the most used electronic device all over the world. The number of mobile phones is increasing significantly over time as modern mobile devices are equipped with computational powers. Mobile phones have become so advanced these days that we can even use them to perform the many same functions as computers.

An important advantage of mobile phones over computers is that they are comparatively less expensive, smaller, and consume less power. However, mobile phones are still not so advanced that we do not need computers. However, development still continues. In this technological era, mobile phones are also called smartphones. Due to the increasing usage and applications, it is essential to know the advantages and disadvantages of mobile phones in daily life.

In this article, we have covered both the advantages and disadvantages of mobile phones. Let's check them out:

Mobile Uses List [Show/ Hide]

• Advantages of Mobile Phone

• Disadvantages of Mobile Phone

Advantages of Mobile Phone

When it comes to the advantages or benefits of using a mobile phone, they are numerous. Since the latest operating system on mobile phones allows custom applications to be created by any developer, people can make various uses of mobile phones through the application. Below, we discuss some of the main benefits or advantages of mobile phone:

1) Easy Communication

Although the primary purpose of mobile phones was to connect people over calls, modern phones have evolved in such a way that they can now be used for texts, chats, and even video calls wirelessly all over the world. One of the most important benefits of having a mobile phone is that we are always connected to our professional email account and can access and reply to others as and when needed, from anywhere.

In addition to basic communication options, mobile phones are widely used for social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Most such social platforms allow communication between one or more people across the world. These social media or social network platforms are equipped with rich features and usually allow transferring of text, images, videos, and other media files.

2) Self Learning & Education

Students can also take advantage of mobile phones for their studies during online classes and for self-learning through internet research. Thus, if used properly, mobile phones can be really helpful in the field of education. Unlike books, students do not need to go through the index, then chapter, then page, and then passage to find any specific little information about any topic. Instead, they can simply use their mobile phone and search for relevant topics on the internet instantly, reducing their time.

Despite self-learning and online classes, students or candidates can also fill up various forms using their mobile phones. Not only educational material, but people can also avail mobile phones to view any recent news, weather updates, finance-related information, and much more.

3) Online Banking & Payments

Other essential benefits of mobile phones include self-banking and cashless payments. Presently, people can open their bank accounts digitally even from their homes using mobile phones. They can transfer money, check transactions and access their respective bank accounts' details on mobile using the bank's website or application. Most of the banking operations can now be performed by the user without the need of a bank employee.

Due to mobile banking, paying through mobile phones has also become so easy. People do not need to carry much cash and even debit/credit cards in urban areas. People in most countries can pay merchants directly through their bank accounts using their mobile phones. If people require cash from an ATM, they can also redeem it themselves using specific ATMs and their mobile phones, without the need for a debit/credit card.

4) Easy Booking & Shopping

With mobile phones, it has become so easy to book, or shop for various items online. Due to advancements in technology, people can book or shop directly from their homes. They can get the desired goods delivered to their homes. The payment can be made offline on the spot or online as prepaid.

Not just movies, mobile users can book buses, trains, flights, and even taxis or cabs to travel from one destination to another. When it comes to shopping, people can visit related websites or use applications to select or find items such as toys, clothing, packaged foods, cooked foods, medicines, dairy products, vegetables, and many more. They can order them to get them to their doorstep. Home services for Repairs and Maintenances are also available on mobile phones with a few clicks.

5) Entertainment Hub

Mobile phones are considered to be fully packed devices for entertainment. This is one of the biggest advantages of mobile phones which are experienced by people of all ages. With the use of the internet, there is no limit to the entertainment options on mobile phones these days. People can enjoy music, and watch video clips or movies to pass their time. Above all, even mobile phones are equipped with the Live TV feature, allowing people to watch their favorite TV channels anywhere.

Another great advantage of mobile phones in terms of entertainment is gaming. Since mobile has become powerful, gaming has also advanced. Nowadays, there is a wide range of mobile games with different features in different categories like shooting, adventure, sports, etc. With games like PUBG and BGMI, it has been seen that mobile gaming has reached a completely different level these days.

6) Income Source & Investments

Some people use their mobile phones to maintain a luxurious lifestyle. They use mobile phones to invest and earn a good amount of money. Business promotion and brand awareness have also become easier with mobile phones and social media platforms.

Generally, most people invest in the stock market, mutual funds, cryptocurrencies, and even gambling to earn extra money. For many families, mobile phones are also the primary source of income. Many people are earning good money from YouTube earning, advertising and promotion.

7) Additional Gadget

Due to the increasing usage and dependence on mobile phones, they are equipped with many additional features that help us to use our mobile phones as other gadgets or devices. Almost every modern mobile phone is equipped with a camera and a flashlight. While a camera helps us to take pictures or record videos anytime, a flashlight enables us to use a mobile phone as a flashlight in the dark or at night.

Apart from this, mobile phones also come with a clock, timer, stopwatch, alarm, notebook, and GPS. Along with devices like IR blaster, these days’ mobile phones can also be used as remotes for smart home appliances like TVs, air conditioners, lights, fans, etc. Innovative companies like Asus are focusing on enabling people to experience mobile phones as real gaming consoles.

Disadvantages of Mobile Phone

Disadvantages usually come with advantages. It is generally seen that if something has advantages then there are also some disadvantages. Similarly, despite many advantages, the increasing use of mobile phones is creating many problems for the people and the environment. Following are some of the main problems or disadvantages of mobile phones:

1) Addiction & Distraction

Since mobile phones are essential parts of human life, everyone carries them, be it at home, offices, or while traveling. Many people, especially youth and children, are getting addicted to mobile phones and they like to spend their precious time using their mobile phones in playing games, listening to music, watching movies, etc. This way of connecting with mobile phones is increasing which is dangerous for people as it is wasting time, distracting from goals, and even causing health issues.

Mobile phones are not only becoming addictive but also becoming a means of distraction for people. They can distract people from their work, study, and other essential purposes. It has been seen in most of the children that whenever there is a sound from the mobile phone or a notification, their attention is easily diverted during the studies. It is very common to see that mobile phones often show notifications for new software and games to encourage people to try them, which easily distracts people from their goals.

2) Health Problems

Mobile phones not only create stress, increase anxiety, or disturb the peace of mind, but also affect health physically very dangerously. Constantly looking at a mobile screen can lead to frequent headaches, which can also affect the eyesight over time. Children using mobile phones often feel low vision problems and have to use glasses at a very young age.

Apart from eye problems, mobile phones also cause problems like ear pain and hearing loss. This is usually due to prolonged calls because the sound causes the eardrum to vibrate. Instant high and low-pitched voices often cause problems in the ears. Despite this, using the phone continuously in certain body positions can lead to back pain and body aches as we do not move much, blocking blood circulation. It also gives overall results in the form of laziness on regular days.

3) Isolation

With the increasing use of mobile phones, people do not have time to talk to others. They usually like to spend their time alone and use their mobile phones for gaming, chatting, listening to music, watching movies, etc.

Although many people feel good about chatting on social media using their mobile phones, they are not very social in their personal life when interacting face to face. Due to their lack of social interaction and communication skills, they often prefer to live in isolation. It also affects their career to some extent in the future.

4) Bullying

Bullying means posting, sharing, or sending negative, false, abusive, and/or threatening content about or to another person using digital means like mobile phones. It is widely observed that children become most aggressive and use mobile phones to bully others online. It has been observed that children who have mobile phones often bully those who do not have mobile phones. After verbal bullying over the phone, children can get involved in verbal and even physical fights, which can be dangerous.

5) Privacy & Security Concern

Mobile phone is an integral part of daily life routine. People use mobile phones to store their personal and financial data including debit/credit card details, net banking credentials, addresses, mobile numbers, etc. Breaching into the phone can make all such details accessible to hackers, resulting in loss of money, personal data, and even reputation.

Apart from this, people, these days use mobile phones for secretly taking pictures, and recording audio or video of others. Such an image or video can be misused in various ways. The most common examples include using images to create fake pornographic material and then blackmailing the corresponding individuals. In addition, people can use the images to create fake identities on social media to spread rumors. Thus, mobile phones have a major drawback for security and privacy.

6) Life Threats

Mobile phones can sometimes be life-threatening, which means they can put one's life in danger. There have been many such cases where people lost their lives due to mobile phones. The most common scenario that we can often see is people using mobile phones while driving, or crossing the road, which causes accidents in most of the cases. In this way, people using their phones not only put their lives at risk but also put the lives of others at risk.

Apart from road accidents, over time some other specific cases have been registered where mobiles have proved to be life-threatening. Cases have been registered in which it was claimed that mobile batteries exploded and people were harmed. Apart from this, there have also been mobile applications like Blue Whale, Momo, etc., due to which youth and children committed suicide or killed others. Moreover, mobile theft is very common in many cities, causing fighting and life-threatening.

7) Bad Environmental Impact

Researches in the past have shown that mobile phones have become the most harmful of all electronic devices, causing huge emissions into the environment. Most of the emissions impact comes from the production chain, which is increasing day by day. On average, manufacturing a new mobile phone uses almost the same amount of energy as it consumes while using it every day (including charging) for 10 years. Thus, its production is more harmful than using it in daily life.

Mobile phones require various elements, including metals that are usually obtained through mining processes. The process of mining, refining, manufacturing, and transportation around the world typically involves massive amounts of harmful emissions, releasing more carbon into the air. With the increasing number of mobile phones around the world, the overall environmental impact of mobile phones has also increased significantly. Mobile phones, especially smartphones, produce more greenhouse gases than any other electronic device or component.

Summary

Although there are many disadvantages to using mobile phones, they are widely used all over the world. It is our responsibility to avoid unnecessary use of mobile phones and try not to change our mobile phones frequently. It is up to the users to mitigate the effects of mobile phone damage to some extent. Apart from those discussed above, mobile phones have many other advantages and disadvantages.

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