NANFeatures/Vol.12/No.107/2018 (Sept. 19)
SURVEY: Addiction to cell phones: Any dangers?
By News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Clutching on cellular phones to undertake some activities online has been a trendy occurrence since the advent of cellular phones in Nigeria.
Although public analysts observe that this trend, which they describe as addiction, has some consequences on the users, some cell phone users insist that it is a normal occurrence to move on with global information development.
A news magazine — IndiaToday — however, observes in one of its reports that “with the advent of advanced technology, growing use of mobile phones and other gadgets are considerably harming the younger generation.
Although it states that use of cell phones among the youth has some advantages, it later states most of the implications of addiction to cell phones.
“Students are developing a strong connection with their mobile phones, which is leading to a massive loss in their concentration and time spent in studies; parents and teachers usually face problem in combating the distraction of students,’’ it states.
Corroborating the position of the report, Mr Babayo Damisa, a communication consultant, says that getting addicted to cellular phones has a global challenge which is hard to combat.
Most youths are addicted to their phones, either being on social media or playing games which might be harmful for academic development.
He, nonetheless, observes that viewing educational programmes on phones is a positive development, especially when it is for the purpose of seeking important information.
But Mr Blaise Aboh, Lead trainer, Code for Nigeria, observes “ordinarily Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is good, but in Nigeria, the youths abuse the advantage instead of using it for information gathering and processing to get updated with happenings.
“People go online Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, among others, to post pictures and this offers them the opportunity to meet friends and old families they have not met for a long time.
“So, they tend to addict to their phones at least to get connected to their loved ones online always whether or not they have money.
“Irrespective of these benefits, that should not be the only use of cell phones; there is a massive data base of online courses that Nigerian youths could actually do online.
“ICT of today has grown to a point whereby you can be in your house and you can go online to get education with a very small fee most of them are even free then when you need a certificate’’.
But Mr Collins Omoregie, a computer analyst insists that addiction to online activities via cell phones has outright harmful effects on human system.
“This is because when you get addicted to smart phone, it has a lot of side effects, although there are positive gains that you get from using the phone.
“Side effect contributes a lot of hazards to users’ wellbeing and you have to contend with both physical side effect and psychological effect.
“The physical effect; when you are addicted to cellular phone, it emits rays for most screens of cellular phones have Light Emitting Diode (LED).
The cell phones emit radiation and by the time they are close to our eyes especially at night, it affects and shrinks the eyes.
Omoregie observes that the use of cellular phones can also lead to accident as some people use phones while driving.
“Because of addiction to their phones when a message pops in, they will want to check and an accident might just happen.
“We should try as much as possible to minimise the use of our smart phones. You can structure out when to use the phone.
“The recent statistics Facebook released states that more than 70 per cent of Facebook users spend two hours on the platform every day.
“This shows how addicted people are; some people can even spend three hours at a stretch; the addiction cuts across both youths and the elderly.
“But those more addicted are teenagers between the ages of 16 years to 18 years because they want to explore and know everything,’’ he observes.
This position notwithstanding, Mrs Blessing Okafor, a phone user insists that “Nigerians like upcoming things, especially electronics; we like to get linked to the happenings in the world.
“With the telephone, you can access information around the world from one spot as people don’t buy newspapers anymore.
“Some people don’t have time for television anymore; they browse their phone and internet and get everything they want.
“It is even cheaper to chat online than make international calls, even if you choose not to see a doctor, you can get one online but youths are guilty of phone addiction,’’.
Expressing concern about Okafor’s viewpoint, Mr Friday Ayoola a mobile phone seller says that although cell phones are always handy for services with a lot of applications, addiction to the use is dangerous.
“I want to implore parents to focus more on their children, especially the underage because once they have access to android phone they have access to internet which gives them liberty to watch anything they want’’ he says.
In her view, Mrs Rashidat Lawal, a parent says that housewives are more addicted to cellular phones, making it somewhat difficult to instruct the children in that regard.
“Addiction to phones has also led to cases of broken home because a lot of women gives less attention to their domestic chores and affection for their husbands,’’ she observes.
Lawal, therefore, pleads with authorities to come up with some legislation to moderate the use of mobile phones, noting that it is so rampant to the extent that some secondary students take phones to school.
Analysing the health implications of addiction to cell phones, Dr Charles Obi, a medical doctor in Owerri, identifies hearing loss as the most common issue associated with constant cellular phone usage.
Other adverse effects according to him include headache, insomnia and tiredness often as a result of lack of sleep, brain tumours in rare occasions, hypertension, stroke, deafness and various ear infections, among others.
He, however, suggested using earpiece for answering calls and to avoid making calls when the phone was overheated to lessen the effects on the ear.
To check the abuse, Mrs Linda Eze, a secondary school teacher, says that most schools have resorted to seizing cell phones from students who come to school with such devices.
“In some cases, parents and guardians are compelled to pay fines to retrieve the phones at the end of the school lesson as deterrent to others,’’ she explains.
Also expressing concern about some people’s addiction to cellular phone, Mr Bright Enyi, an officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, notes that a great percentage of road accidents have been traced to the use of phone while driving.
“Majority of the accidents involved women drivers who are either sending text messages or making calls while driving,’’ he observes.
He called for stiffer punishments such as imprisonment without option of fine for drivers who use their cell phones while driving.
Similarly, a cleric, Mr Steve Wokoh expresses worry about addiction to cellular phones in churches and various homes which he observes has negative effect on family bonding.
“When one of the couple in a home is addicted to phone, it will affect the relationship between them on the one hand and among their children on the other hand.
“There are times the man will need attention but because the woman is glued to cell phone, it becomes difficult for the man to communicate.
“It can be in the aspect of getting meal late for the man by his wife or any other aspects just because most times of the wife have gone on browsing.
“The same goes for an addicted husband; such a man will unwittingly continue to deny the wife or children the needed attention,’’ Wokoh explains.
Sharing other effects of phone addiction, Rev. Fr. Christian Anokwuru, a Catholic priest, observes that it is surprising to discover that phone addiction is even common among clergymen.
“During Mass, some worshippers that are addicted to phones spend more time with their phones than listen to gospel and liturgy.
“Clergymen that are addicted to phones usually exhibit their addiction at ceremonies and events where they are not officiating.
He observes further that because of the dangers associated with phone addiction, especially among Catholic priests, Pope Francis recently warned priests to desist from such a habit.
In the light of these views, Malam Ali Sadiq, a parent in Kano, appeals to parents and guardians to educate their children on the dangers associated with persistent use of cell phones.
Another parent in Kano, Mrs Maimuna Bala, raises alarm that phone addiction is taking an “ugly trend’’, distracting students from their studies and other activities.
She notes that many parents are out of touch with the dangers faced by their children on tablets and smart phones.
All in all, Dr Sola Afuye, a lecturer in the Department of Kinetics and Health Education, University of Lagos, believes that most people, especially students addicted to cell phones, use the phones for frivolous things.
He expresses concern about the high level of decay which cell phone addiction has brought to the academic lives of students, saying “use of phones in the class is a distraction.
“Unless a lecturer goes round, he may not know that a large number of students are pinging while a lecture is going on.
“In some cases, students use these phones to scan the class lecture notes of their friends they ought to copy during the lecture
“How do you imagine a student reading other student’s handwriting for examination? It makes them to be lazy academically.
“Cell phones are supposed to assist the students in doing their assignments but because they use the phones for frivolities, they are shallow intellectually.
“Even though the internet is supposed to be useful and resourceful academically, the reverse is the case as they use it for more of frivolous things.
“A cell phone now becomes a demigod for the young folks because instead of waking up in the morning to pray, they want to check the Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook and other messages on their phones’’.(NANFeature)
**If used, please credit the writer as well as News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)