Smartphones Are Not Making You Dumber

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I wonder if my brain was reverse engineered. How else do I justify my tweaked perspective for everything the world is talking about!

Being a 90s kid, I remember how TV had such an important place in our lives. They have memes for TV series from the 90s, and these memes make me doubt whether I am a 90s kid at all. I was never fond of TV. Why, you ask? I thought it was just another way to distract you from studies.

The irony is- when the whole world saw TV as something “good,” I found it totally useless.

Now when the world has turned (almost) against smartphones, I beg to differ!

You must have, someday or the other, caught yourself reading or hearing about how smartphones are making us dumber.

Smartphones are being framed. To hide our own inability to handle technology, we have put the blame on smartphones for our own incompetence.

More info: huffingtonpost.com

Multiple studies have been published just to prove that these helpful devices have ruined the world and they are making human race a race full of stupid beings.

Wait, you really think so even when this poor guy, smartphone, has given us so much to learn from?

I can prove otherwise.

Here are 5 ways smartphones have made us better individuals (well, most of us):

Accept it. The expansion of awareness about society, politics, and the entire world has amplified beyond doubts. This awareness was not possible if we did not have this technology in our hands. The proper use of smartphones can lead to a change in the society for good, which is happening right now as you are reading this.

Now that you have an exposure to understand what’s happening across the world and figure out the best practices, you, especially the youth of the nation, is empowered to bring a change. Sometimes, simply voicing your opinions leads to change. Never before have we been so aware and enlightened about feminism, sexism, racism, and a lot of other such important societal aspects.

How else could you find your first crush from high school?

It is easier than ever to build healthy relationships and cut-off from unhealthy ones. You are connected with your friends and family all the time and everyone is just a few clicks away.

Unlike the time when the world was devoid of smartphones, you can now stay connected with thousands of people and not just a handful. That old friend of yours from primary school, you found her on Facebook, didn’t you?

Moreover, the internet has the power to reveal the impersonal aspects of humans. The ability to voice opinions on the internet is different from the ability to voice it in person. You never know when such insights into their lives give you a signal. Not that your judgement will always be right, but at least, you can follow your instincts. Building relationships that matter and bring positive ebergy in your life is a step towards being better individuals.

With all that online shopping you do?
Well, yeah, Sort of!

You know this already. There’s a lot of stuff you can do in a jiffy now that you have a smartphone. Imagine how much time you save in order to channelize it in productive and creative directions to improve your skills or do something that makes you genuinely happy.

Smartphones don’t waste your time. You waste your time. They are built to save you time- time that you can use in so many different ways.

Don't you?

Smartphones let you collect documented memories of events you might otherwise forget. Think about it. Can you remember every big and small happy moment of your life? No, right? Taking photographs or videos lets you document those small moments that might not be as big as to be etched in your mind forever, but they are special. These small moments have their charm, and recalling those days from the past is so much easier because you just have to scroll down in your gallery.

I wonder why some people are so against taking photographs. I understand that over indulgence is harmful. However, the whole argument of “Stop Capturing the Moment and Just Enjoy It” has been exaggerated (link to this article in the Image source section). It does not mean that you should not take photographs. You just have to create a balance. There are times when capturing photographs leads to unforgettable events that are also documented and bring a smile on your face every time you look back at those pictures.

Over-indulgence of any type isn’t what I advocate, but balancing the act is what we, as smartphone users, need to learn. When I am at the top of a hill, I would want to sit, breathe, and feel the moment, and I would also want to capture a few beautiful shots to take back home. Though the sight will be in my mind forever even if I don’t capture it, but what if I want the world to see what I saw- from my perception!

That small icon of Gallery in your smartphone can be a repository of joy.

A lot!

Last, but definitely not the least, is that you learn from your smartphones. With all these new apps, social media, YouTube, and what not, you have innumerable avenues opened to grow your skills and learn something new every day. Smartphones let you learn from the experiences of people from around the world. Be it decorating your home, a new language, working on a spreadsheet, whipping a new dish, the cosmos, the history, or improving your communication, there’s so much you learn from your smartphone that the list is just endless.

You just have to use your time more constructively and not fall into the addiction.

It’s not a smartphone that is making us dumber; instead, we are making ourselves dumber. Technology is supposed to improve your efficiency and not otherwise. You are supposed to control technology and not vice versa.

Uninstall those dozens of games and install a few useful apps. Stop wasting time on B-town news and read things that broaden your perspective. Use YouTube to learn something new instead of binge watching trailers and new songs.

Again, I will talk about balance here. You don’t need to stop one thing to start another. You just have to manage your time.

If we take matters in our control, the same smartphone will make us smarter and not dumber.