There are not many technologies that are shaping our society like phones. Whenever I meet my friend or a family member, I rarely see them without a phone in their hand. Almost all of my friends think their phone is one of the most important things in their life and I also think the same. But not everyone thinks we should have phone all the time and my teachers are one of them. Many of my teachers tell the students they cannot use the phone in the class. I don’t disagree with the fact that phones can be used in a negative way but I also believe the benefits of the phones are much greater than the costs.

The phones have made it much easier and cheaper to stay in touch with others whether they are our friends, fellow students, family members, or co-workers. Now almost everyone has cell phone which makes it easier to reach them. My parents tell me cell phones are quite new technology. In the past, people mostly had landline phones which means they could only talk from home or office. This is also helping people work better at their jobs because they can reach their customers from anywhere. Now cell phones like smart phones are mini computers so they also have several more benefits. One can access information from anywhere which helps people in both personal and professional tasks.

Cell phones also make our personal life quite easy. We do not only make calls from cell phones but also use them for many other things such as online shopping, ordering food, and calling a cab. When I came to the U.S., my life was much easier due to cell phone. Whenever I had a question, I would find information on my cell phone. Without cell phone, it would have been quite difficult for me to quickly settle in the U.S. Even now I often use cell phone to read reviews online which help me find new restaurants and beautiful places to visit. It is clear cell phone has helped make information both easier and cheaper to access.

Cell phones have also helped me in my studies. With cell phones, I can study anywhere because I can access course materials and other information online. Cell phones are even more useful than laptop computers because they are much smaller and lighter to carry. In addition to studies, cell phone also helps me stay up-to-date on news. I often read news on cell phone while travelling through a public transportation. Without cell phone, I would have simply wasted my time while riding a public transportation. The news I read on cell phone is often relevant to the course material covered in the class. Thus, cell phone helps me become a better student.

Just as there are benefits of cell phone, there can be costs, too. One danger is waste of time due to addiction. I think this is main reason why many teachers ban cell phone in class because student waste time on cell phone instead of paying attention to lectures and class discussions. Another danger of cell phone is short attention span. Cell phone users often feel the need to frequently check their cell phones whenever there is notification or when they are simply bored. As a result, cell phone makes it difficult to pay attention to whatever the individual may be doing. I also have seen my friends frequently checking their cell phones during study sessions.

Cell phone is one of the greatest inventions of modern times. There are many benefits of cell phones such as cheaper and easier communication, easy access to information, and assistance with study and office work. But cell phone users may also become addicted to the device and they may develop shorter attention span. Thus, we should make sure we do not let cell phones control our lives while taking advantage of all the benefits it offers.