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Annotated Bibliography

How Have Cell Phones Impacted Our Society Today?

David Brunk

Professor Malcolm Campbell

English 1103

March 12, 2015

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Annotated Bibliography

Jerpi, Laura. “Mobile Phones and society- how being constantly connected impacts our lives.”

South Source: A Publication of South University, 29. (2013): n. pag. Web. 9 March 2015

This academic article explores three main areas of cell phone impact on society. The first

being addiction to cell phones. It starts off by saying how everyone is addicted to their

cell phone to some extent. The addiction starts off as a convenience that enables one to

connect with friends and family in an instant. Before long, the addiction sets in. People

can’t put it down for even five minutes. People waiting in line at a public bathroom are

even standing there using their mobile phones. Before the days of cell phones, if a

friend went on vacation, you probably wouldn’t hear from them until their vacation was

over. Now, you can constantly receive updates and stay in contact throughout the

duration of it. Although the ability to connect with people at anytime is convenient,

there are times when an individual just doesn’t need their cell phone. For example , if

you are out socializing with friends, it might be considered rude to have your cell phone

out. Teachers have had issues with students using their phones in class, diverting their

attention elsewhere when it should be on the lecture. The article constitutes the

question; are we really so addicted to our cell phones that we can’t put them away for

even a few minutes? Another issue that comes up in the article is how cell phone use

should be monitored in children. The author points out that children that become

addicted so cell phones may not develop good social skills since being glued to the

phone requires less social skills that if the child were face to face talking someone.

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Family time is also cut down by excessive phone use. Families spend more time on the

phone rather than having quality time just sitting down and talking to each other.

Glaser, Mark. “ How Cell Phones are Killing Face-to-Face Interactions.” PBS: Mediashift. (2007):

n. pag. Web. 9 March 2015

This article from a popular news source points out how there is just something about a

face to face interaction that you cannot get from having a conversation with someone

over a cell phone; whether it’s through a phone call, text message, or even a video call.

The author of this article noticed as he walked around city streets and similar urban

areas that the majority of people walking around had their eyes glued to their phones

and electronic devices. The author refers to this as gadget haze. He makes a point to say

that he is not anti- technology. In fact, on the contrary. Phones are extremely beneficial

in emergency situations. The police or an ambulance can be requested in a moment’s

notice, cutting down on response time, and potentially saving lives. Phones can be

helpful, but can also become a nuisance when trying to have a conversation with

someone when they are more attentive to their gadgets. It isn’t only young people who

are addicted to their phones. People of all ages find themselves stuck texting constantly

or updating Facebook or Twitter. It becomes a force of habit because people feel that if

they don’t constantly check their phones, they might miss something.

“Frequently Asked Questions about Cell Phones and Your Health.” Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention. n.p. (2014): Web. 9 March 2015.

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This website addresses questions about the potential health risks that cell phones and

the radio waves that they emit may expose you to. The first health risk that it addresses

is the possibility of cell phones causing cancer. According to the CDC, there is no

scientific evidence to give a definitive answer. More research is needed before we know

if cell phones can cause cancer. Cell phones emit radiofrequency radiation (RF) to send

signals. RF is different than other types of radiation (like x-rays) that we know can be

harmful. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified RF as a

“possible human carcinogen.” (A carcinogen is an agent that causes cancer.) At this

time, however, we do not have the science to link health problems to cell phone use,

according to the CDC. Scientific studies are currently being conducted to determine

whether or not cell phones cause health problems. The World Health Organization

(WHO) is currently studying how cell phones might affect things such as certain types of

tumor growth, our eyes, sleep, memory, and headaches. A specific study being

conducted is the link between cell phone use and a tumor called acoustic neuroma. This

tumor grows on the nerve that connects the ear to the brain. It doesn’t cause cancer but

it may cause hearing problems.