The recent case of a young girl getting overrun by a train while walking on the railway track and talking on her cell phone has once again highlighted the deadly downside of abusing a wonderful technology.

“We can see teenagers using mobile phone for texting or talking while walking on the footpath or crossing the road. Many times I had advised them against it”, said Sushila a resident of Peelamedu.

The usage of mobile phones while driving is also extremely dangerous. It often results in serious accidents to the user and others. Rules banning drivers from using the cell phone need to be strictly implemented.

“Most people are seen busy messaging, watching soap operas or listening to songs. This is the common trend these days in buses,” says Sundhar, a private bus conductor.

“Excess use of mobile phones can cause addiction. People are found using mobile phones even in a social gathering. The excessive usage of social media has reduced the interpersonal skills of people,” says Ms Swathi Priya, a Counselling Psychologist.

Psychologists are of the opinion that the repeated usage of mobile phones can cause sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, reduced productivity.

No doubt mobile phones have made a revolutionary change in the field of communication and day-to-day lives of people and have become indispensable. All personal details like emails, contacts, photos et al are stored in the cell phones through apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter.

“The smart phone has made it easy for me to communicate my safety with my parents. Its various applications help me in staying updated with the latest developments around the world,” says Gokila, a college student.
Indeed, mobile phones need to be used carefully. Else they could easily become a curse to humanity at large.