Smartphone blues

Users top 30 mil. but side effects must be controlled 

The number of smartphone users in Korea, one of the world’s most wired nations, has surpassed 30 million. This feat has been achieved in just over two years and nine months since KT, one of the nation’s three mobile phone carriers, introduced Apple’s iPhone in November 2009. Now six out of 10 people here use smartphones.

Changes in our lifestyle prompted by smartphones are revolutionary. Ubiquitous computing has been made possible because phone users are able to connect with networks at any time and at any place without restriction. They can log on to the Internet, enjoy music and TV programs and send emails while on the move.

The number of smartphone users topped 10 million in March last year and exceeded the 20 million mark just seven months later. By company, SKT accounts for 14.77 million, followed by KT with 9.44 million and LG Uplus with 5.82 million.

The launch of the fourth-generation (4G) LTE network in July last year has provided fresh momentum to the heavily saturated mobile phone market, allowing people to watch movies without lag time and download full-length movies in seconds. The number of LTE users is nearly 10 million, making up more than 30 percent of the total number of smartphone users.

Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer, has made big strides thanks to the emergence of smartphones. In contrast, Nokia and Motorola have been in decline after failing to adapt themselves to changing market conditions.

Of course, the rapid distribution of smartphones has brought about a host of associated evils. More than anything else, smartphone addiction has become a serious social problem. According to the Korea Communications Commission, seven out of 10 users show symptoms of addiction with nearly one third feeling nervous when without their phones.

A survey of 5,000 people including South Koreans conducted by Time magazine shows that 84 percent of respondents said they could not go a single day without their phones. And 20 percent of them check their phones every 10 minutes.

This side effect is all the more serious for youngsters who are often diagnosed with learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) because of their heavy smartphone use.

In a growing number of cases, smartphones cause deaths and are misused by criminals. Last week, a high school girl in southeastern Seoul jumped off an apartment building to her death after being bullied on Kakao Talk, the nation’s most popular mobile messenger program.

Excessive use of smartphones also prompts users to set up barriers against certain individuals and can even prevent communication with family members. More realistically, the use of phones while driving or walking causes traffic accidents and many households struggle with the associated excessive bills.

All these problems notwithstanding, smartphones won’t go away, raising the need for us to come up with measures to make the best use of them and minimize their negative side effects. The key lies in limiting children’s access to phones. <The Korea Times>

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