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These days, I barely make phone calls. Guess I'm more of a texter when it comes to connecting with friends.

But when I do dial someone up, it's usually my folks. They're not big on texting, which is why they prefer giving me a ring. Our chitchats are never that long - about five minutes, sometimes even less.

My grandpa's another one who tends to call. I mean, I know I should be the one reaching out first, but it's hard, you know? Every time he calls, he's got his usual three reminders for me: hit the books, take care of my health, and save up. And then he just hangs up. Kinda hilarious, right?

Most of the time when I'm on a call, I switch on speakerphone and keep fiddling with my phone. Sometimes I'll read news stories or just flip through my photo gallery.

And that's about it.

I don’t remember when I first started communicating with my friends on the telephone. It’s been almost more than twenty years. I don’t exactly remember when.

So, what if I talk about my phone English class? I recently started learning English through Zoom. I wanted to take face-to-face classes but it was a bit difficult to find classes in my neighborhood.

That’s why I used a social media platform to look for a teacher. Thankfully, I found a good teacher and I’ve been learning English from him once a week.

I haven’t actually considered taking a phone English class because I thought it was better to have a face-to-face class. But, I realized that it’s a lot more convenient and effective than I thought.

I think this is when calling someone on the phone became important to me.

Man, I think I'm just way too dependent on my smartphone. So, funny story, my phone just went kaput on me, like, out of the blue. This made it impossible for me to use my online banking app. And here's the thing, I had to get my rent paid that day, or else my landlord would've smacked me with a late fee. So I was thinking, maybe I could take it to a repair shop, but I needed my phone back ASAP, so that was a no-go. Then I had a lightbulb moment and called up my buddy, who's a total tech whiz. He told me to just reboot it three times. Can you believe it? That did the trick! Just like magic! So in the end, I paid my rent and dodged the late fee. Guess what I learned from this? AVA, if you're in a pickle, just turn it off and on again.

To be honest, I haven’t seen any major changes in mobile phones over the past five years.

In fact, I’m still using the same phone I bought five years ago, so for me, nothing has really changed recently.

That’s why I think it makes more sense to compare phones now to what they were like twenty years ago.

Back then, smartphones didn’t even exist.

Most phones weren’t connected to the Internet, and even if they were, mobile data was considered a luxury.

So the main purpose of mobile phones was simply to make phone calls or send text messages.

I couldn’t have imagined browsing the Internet on the subway or using generative AI tools like ChatGPT while sipping coffee at a café.

Who would’ve thought that would become part of our daily routine?

Today, on the other hand, it’s almost impossible to find someone without a smartphone.

They have become an essential part of everyday life.

Personally, I use my phone to search for work-related and household information, and I’m also quite active on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

Clearly, my mobile phone is no longer just a device for calling or texting.

It allows me to do a wide range of things, from entertainment to learning.

For example, studying English with ChatGPT while sitting at a coffee shop has become completely normal for me.

So that’s the biggest difference I’ve noticed between the past and the present when it comes to mobile phone use.

Smartphones have become a daily necessity, and most of us rely on them constantly.

Even so, they come with several negative side effects that we shouldn’t overlook.

Let me walk you through a couple of major concerns I have.

First of all, there is the issue of privacy.

Young people, in particular, are very active on social media, often sharing details about their personal lives.

The problem is that this information can easily be exposed or misused by others.

In some cases, people lose control over their own data and have no idea how or where it is being used.

What’s worse is that some of this personal information is used in fraudulent activities.

Let me share an example from my own experience.

My company’s internal network was once hacked, and during a contract process, one of the documents was leaked.

The hacker then provided a fake bank account, and unfortunately, one of our employees transferred the contract payment to that account by mistake.

It was a serious loss and a wake-up call about the risks involved.

Another issue I find concerning is the type of content available online.

These days, so much of the content is either too violent or overly sexual, and it’s incredibly easy for children to come across it.

As a father of a young daughter, I constantly worry that she might be exposed to inappropriate material without even realizing it.

So while smartphones make our lives more convenient, they also introduce serious problems that deserve more attention, especially when it comes to security and protecting the younger generation.