By Vivian Onyebukwa
The telephone is defined as the electrical system of communication used to talk directly to someone else in a different place. It is a very useful tool of communication, and it is regarded as one invention that changed the world and opened a wide world of communication. Since its invention, it has continued to evolve with new trends in communication system.
However, every technology that provides such benefits comes with consequences. The invention of telephone has had its positive and negative values, especially recently on teenagers and young people, ranging from health, academic performances, lifestyle, among others.
Most parents have expressed concern over these above mentioned issues. “Many teens are addicted to the cell phone.
They hardly sleep, and even text while driving”, said John Okon, a Keke driver in Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos.
He regretted ever buying phones for his children, saying they have thoroughly abused the aim which was for communication. “But now, I have seized all their phones. They would tell you that they are using it to do assignments, but it is not true. They would go to Tiktok or other social media platforms. My daughter prefers staying at home than going to church, so that she would be using her phone to browse,” Okon stated.
Ngozi Okoro, a teacher in one of the private schools in Iyana-Ipaja, sees it as a problem. “Most times because they are young, they don’t know how to balance their lives. It affects the way they write and talk. It has also affected communication.
A lot of the young people now can’t even hold conversation with someone because, they are distracted.”
Okoro went on to say that excessive phone use may lead to reduced face-to-face social interactions, which are important for the development of social skills and emotional intelligence.
She pointed out that constant use of telephone also affects their sights because they spend a long time on phone. It also lowers their intelligence quotient (IQ).
Anne Ofuafo, a businesswoman at Balogun Market, Lagos, narrated how her five-year-old nephew was playing video game and urinating at the same time on his body without knowing it. “He became so addicted to the telephone that he could not leave the phone to go and urinate. It is that bad.”
She therefore, advised parents to show concern about this and find a way to curtail it.
Ofuafo further noted that the use of telephone has affected some marriage relationships, because they are busy on either Facebook, Instagram, or other social media platforms that they hardly talk to each other.
“They might be lying on the same bed, but they are on their own”, she added.
Looking at it from the health angle, a nurse, Dupe said the use of telephone has affected the lives of most of the youths medically. “It can cause stress, anxiety and depression because the child would be busy chatting or talking all day.”
She equally added that excessive use of mobile phone can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, which is associated with physical health problems which can indirectly cause mental health issues.
Academically, although the cell phone is necessary for students, John Okwara, a businessman in Lagos, noted that it can also become a cause of disturbance in the classroom. “Most of the undergraduates cannot do without cell phones, which has affected their academic performances. Why must a student rely on telephone to do assignment? This has made them to become lazy intellectually. They also spend more time chatting with friends than their studies. That is why our higher institutions are producing half-baked graduates.”
Okwara expressed worries, saying that the situation has long and short term negative effects on academics. He equally showed concern over the lives of the youths who text with their phones while also driving, describing it as a dangerous game, which has caused road accidents more often. “It is against the law to drive and use telephone at the same time. I wonder if that law is still existing because you find a lot of people flaunting the order. Security operatives should get them arrested when they see them. Life is a serious issue and should be treated as such,” he added.
As part of the measures to tackle the problem of telephone usage by the youths, Mike Bassey, a teacher in one of the private schools in, Ijesha, Lagos, said he vowed not to buy mobile phones for his children. “They use my phone to do assignments if need be. I monitor their activities. When they are watching television and they see me coming, they would quickly put it off. There should be moderation.”
Eugene Mmeka, a clearing agent in Apapa, Lagos said the effect of telephone on youths is same as asking for the direct effects of SM (social media) on youths.
He stated that the advent of the mobile phone vis a vis the social media has negative effects and consequences on youths. According to him, 60 per cent of today’s youths are involved in advance fee fraud, popularly known as Yahoo business. “The paucity of artisans in both the urban and rural areas is another area where the telephone has affected our youths. Do you dare to ask any young person to go to learn any kind of work when he knows he can do online dating and raise millions of naira? If you are looking for a ‘join-man’ to assist you to do some menial jobs, you are wasting your precious time because, you won’t see. Everybody is involved in internet fraud.”
He maintained that the use of mobile phones has direct consequences on the morals of the society. “Boys and girls alike are involved in pornography, thereby abandoning academics for vain things. The use of the mobile phone has increased plagiarism, nothing is ever original again. No serious academic brainstorming. It is all about “copy and paste”, he lamented.
Also talking about the effect of the mobile phone on youths, Ngozi Okpalakunne, mother of two, also added that it has negatively affected the lives of the youth and if not checkmated, the fall-out would be better imagined than experienced like what is being seen today. She said a lot of them are now exposed to all manner of immoral activities from tender age such as fornication, masturbating, lesbianism, homosexuality and a host of them, which are all detrimental to their souls.
She expressed concern that they no longer read their books nor do any other thing than to engage in activities on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and many others.
“Some of the youth that are in cybercrime is as a result of the use of phones. Some have been initiated into occult world through the phone. Some of them chart with native doctors online who promise to enrich them without them knowing that they are dealing with occult grand masters.”
She then advised parents, especially mothers, to monitor the activities of their children and ensure they do not take the negative side of the use of phone, leaving the numerous positive aspects of it.
“A lot of youths are studying overseas today because of the opportunities they got through the phone. So, children should be properly informed on the negative side earlier so when they become youths they will not deviate.”
She equally asked the government to enact a law that prevent youths less than 18 years of age from using cell phone. “In fact their parents should be arrested,” she added.
Highlighting both the positive and negative side of mobile phones, Sampson Ojakovo, a writer and evangelist, stated that the use of mobile phones no doubt has come to stay, saying that it has made life more convenient unlike what was obtainable in the past with parents. He noted that the use of these technological devices has made things much easier for the masses to stay in touch with loved ones both within and in diaspora through text messages, e-mails, social media platforms, etc. It is also much easier for mostly the youths to access important information almost wherever they are while surfing the internet. Through the use of mobile phones that are internet-enabled, the youths, he said, have been able to explore and exploit.
“In fact, with it, they believe they can save the world and make it a better place for humanity. This has led to the explosion of ideas, opportunities, inspiration and issues through the use of various search engines, applications and softwares. It is unarguable that the mobile telephone has given them a form of independence that the older generation never experienced. It has also allowed them to be out of their own domain exploring, sharing specific experiences, learning, meeting friends and forming communities all on their own with no physical boundaries. Through the use of an internet enabled telephone, our youths are able to travel and work round the world from the comfort of their homes. Of a truth, through the telephone, they become very creative and with it, they know how to push technology to the extreme and it has enabled them to excel in various fields. Through the telephone, a great proportion of our youths are no more visible in the “streets”.
This so because the majority are earning hard currency with it. The majority of our youths have used the telephone to help their parents to either secure or scare away intruders and it has given them a sense of responsibility.”
Although the usefulness of the telephone are numerous, the damaging effect, Ojokopvo said, out-ways its benefits. He said: “Today, many of our youths and young adults have reduced their daily physical activities just because they are addicted to mobile phone use. This addiction has impacted negatively on their study time and concentration while in class.
In fact, majority of our youths are looking flabby, lazy and looking unhealthy just because they are always seated with their mobile phones. Also, some have become heady and irresponsive when sent an errand, or while looking after their parents wares or shop. Most often, one has to shout at them before they would attend to you. This attitude has drastically reduced daily sales from such establishment. Fatigue, lack of concentration and learning problem is another kettle of fish entirely. Nowadays and through the telephone, our youths find it much easier to insult an elder or the aged. They can rant, rave and rage like a wounded lion through the phone.
But on a normal day, they dare not speak to that same person the way they did on the phone when they meet. Through the telephone, some have missed their ways or destinations and even fallen victim to kidnappers because they were not concentrating to study the character seated with them or to actually understand the direction they were being taken to. Addiction to telephone kills instinct or intuition from the Holy Spirit.”
The evangelist also noted that texting while driving or crossing the road has led to the death of some of the youths and young adults. “The telephone has taken over the senses of some of our youths and young adults. In fact, they have turned our worship centres to cyber-cafes. Rather than concentrate while sermons is ongoing, they get so busy with their phones. The church has become a daycare where our youths and young adults concentrate on their phones and refuses to grow. Through the telephone, some of them have succeeded in bullying the person on the other side to commit suicide/”
He also stated that addiction to mobile phones, especially at night, has generated trust issues for some intending couples and young adults. In most cases, he said engagements are broken and for those who are already married, it has caused separation or outright divorce.
“People have murdered their spouses due to the wrong use of mobile phones, especially when one party is mentally weak or jealous while trying to confirm the suspicion of infidelity.”
Health-wise, the evangelist said eye-related issues and lack of sleep are other negative effects of the wrong use of phones.
He, however, concluded by acknowledging that the telephone is good, because the intention of producing a telephone for humanity is to improve the standard of life and enhance productivity.
He advised that if the above is a truism, youths should put to proper use any technology that has found its way in their direction.
