Cell Phone Use Can Be Dangerous: Cell Phone Use While Driving

Cell Phone use has the possibility to become a disaster and can be very dangerous. My first point is that cell phones have the potential to be unhealthy, for a few reasons. The first reason is that it can cause traffic crashes, and people could be injured or killed because someone was on their cell phone while driving. “Studies have shown that drivers who use their cell phones while on the road are more likely to be involved in accidents” (M & M 2018). Now that people have been driving with their phones more often, it is likely that we will crash more often along with the fact that we are still using our phones while driving, we are setting ourselves up for failure. Recently, there has been a rise in cell phone use, and the risk of tracking has increased, even google maps has been recording your location history, and you can even access it, you can no longer run away from your debt, “The United States is increasingly becoming a wireless nation in which cell phones are ubiquitous in all areas of life, and where no one is ever truly out of reach” (M & M 2018). If people are on their phones, they will not be able to react as fast as someone who is not distracted, thus can cause crashes, and could lead to injury. 

Cell Phones are dangerous to people, and especially teens depending on how they use the device. Distractions are just one part of the equation, public places are no longer as safe as they were before. Driving in a public place can now lead to injury, because of distraction from the phones. A good example is when someone killed 5 people because of their phone, “In 2002, a Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle flipped over in Maryland while its driver was on the phone, killing five people” (Pearson 2018). When people are distracted, they are more likely to crash, and sadly, the public place is a large target for these kinds of accidents, as most people just drive without thinking anything of it, School-related bans are becoming more popular over the past few years, and has become a common occurrence for the news. “After the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School and the September 2001 terrorist attacks, however, many schools eased restrictions on cell phone use in middle and high schools” (Ballaro & Ginsburg 2017). After these incidents, people have been banning cell phones in schools, as they can be dangerous to other classmates. Cell phones can be dangerous in schools and other public places and has lead to many bans on this topic.

My last point is that Cell phones in public places can be dangerous to the public health. Terrorist organizations have been using cheap phones as detonators for their IED’s, “The electrical charge generated by cell phones are often used by modern-day terrorists to detonate bombs” (Pearson 2018). Stuff like this is very possible when we have cell phones allowed in public places, and that is not even mentioning people taking pictures of others on private property. Cell phone use in public is able to kill others, especially when using a vehicle such as a car. “Driving and cell phone conversations both require a great deal of thought. When doing them at the same time, your brain is unable to do either well” (NSA 2019). This shows that cell phone use is linked directly to car crashes and is able to even take lives of those who do not do anything wrong. Cell phones can have certain ethical and privacy concerns that may be unsettling in a public place, however not everyone will face this issue, only some will, and schools have made it harder for students to do bad things with their devices. “School officials are still struggling to balance student and parent concerns and, at the same time, to address pressing ethical and privacy questions. There is also concern with potential legal liability. And recent technological developments have given school districts even more reason to review their cell phone use policies” (Beverly & Jill). While not everyone will face this issue in their entire life, it may be unsettling to know what can happen on the cell phones of today’s youth, as school officials attempt to crack down on malfeasance, it makes the students want to do it more, and that is a tradeoff for more security in schools. Cell phone use in schools, and even in your own home can be dangerous to your health and may cause unwanted effects, like stalking, legal issues, unwanted recording, and other issues.

A counterargument that someone could use is that cell phones can be beneficial to students and children. Children and students may be able to talk to their parents more or communicate with their friends easier. “Text messages have also had positive effects. A national survey funded by Samsung Mobile Corporation in 2008 found that nearly 70 percent of US parents were communicating with their children by text message. Nearly 60 percent of teenagers said they communicated more often with their parents since they began text messaging, and more than half of teenagers who text their parents said their relationships with them had improved” (Beverly & Jill). People can use the phones to contact others, and can use the technology positively, and in a safe, important way. There are a few benefits to doing so, and you can even interact with others that may be traveling and may not be available for a traditional phone call. However, this is not always the case with technology, and can even be dangerous to children depending on what they do on the internet, “The Internet connections afforded by some models could serve the same illicit purpose, or even provide access, on school grounds, to prohibited materials such as pornography” (Beverly & Jill). Students and children being able to access content that should be blocked can have negative impacts on childhood development. The internet is an unfiltered, and dangerous place depending on what you do on the internet and you may not even recognise the dangers as a child when you just want to watch tv shows on youtube, however almost any website has had it’s problems.

To conclude, The internet is a strange place that is unfiltered and has the potential to be dangerous. If you want children or students to have internet access for good reasons, you will have to block out the bad stuff through a content filtering application on their device, or network. Cell Phone use cons outweigh the pros, but if you chose to give a child or teenager a cell phone, make sure that it is setup with parental controls.

Works Cited

Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Health Issues.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/cell-phones/health-issues.

Lee, M., and Tracey M. DiLascio. “Counterpoint: Cell Phone Use Should Be Regulated.” Points of View: Cell Phones, June 2018, p. 3. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=26610035&site=pov-live.

Ballaro, Beverly, and Jill Ginsburg. “Cell Phones in School: An Overview.” Points of View: Cell Phones in School, Jan. 2017, p. 1. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=23463509&site=pov-live.

Savedge, Jenn. “Students Get Better Grades When Phones Are Banned.” MNN, Mother Nature Network, 30 July 2018, https://www.mnn.com/family/family-activities/blogs/students-get-better-grades-when-phones-are-banned.

Pearson, John. “Counterpoint: Cell Phone Bans Make Sense.” Points of View: Cell Phones, June 2018, p. 5. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=12427556&site=pov-live.

“On The Road.” National Safety Council - Our Mission Is Safety, https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/distracted-driving/cell-phone-distracted-driving.