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Do “Smart” Phones make you Dumb?

July 16, 2012 , 0 Frank Gurnee

Smart phone and mobile technology has made our day to day lives easier in many ways. Complete access to information anywhere, anytime, has revolutionized the way we interact, connect, and navigate the world today. Devices that fit in your pocket can hold entire calendars, to do lists, contacts, encyclopedias, maps, and even personal assistants. Some would say this access to information has improved our lives and given us the ability to be smarter than we ever have been.

There have been a number of long term studies on the effects of radiation from handheld cell phone devices that show inconclusive evidence on what effects may be experienced from exposure to electromagnetic radiation. Though inconclusive, the studies have found enough evidence of potential effects on the head and brain that carriers and manufacturers have begun to issue warnings on packaging and materials.

Though we may not know for some time the true effects of this radiation on our bodies, what is apparent is the reliance on this technology rather than stored information in our own brains. Memorization skills were a major requirement in generations past to navigate the world. Addresses, phone numbers, faces, names, and basic math skills all were needed to navigate a much less technologically savvy society.

Even language is now being affected by smart phone technology. With the introduction of mobile translators, foreign languages can now be accessed through mobile apps that do the work for us making learning foreign languages much less necessary.

There are many positives that smart phone technology brings to society. But it may be these same positive conveniences that change memorization skills in future generations. The need to store information in our internal memory banks becomes less necessary, as electronic devices do the work for us. It is important to continue to work on memorization skills, especially in business.

Make it a point to remember the names of people you meet. There are easy techniques that will help with this skill, like making sure to say the person’s name multiple times in a conversation and relating that name to something you will remember. Make it a point to remember important phone numbers and addresses. Limit the amount of time you hold a cell phone to your ear, to reduce potential exposure, and future findings on the dangers of a cell phone radiation.

Understanding the risks and evaluating the ways that technology affects our lives and changes our internal processes is important. Mobile devices and smart technology will continue to evolve, and it is important that we evolve as well, but it is even more important that we remain smarter than the device.