Image via Complex Original
Smartphones have revolutionized our world—but is this always for the better?
Apple gave us the first iPhone in 2007, and by 2015, nearly two-thirds of Americans owned smartphones, according to the Pew Research Center.
Smartphones have permanently changed the game; the device transformed communication by providing new ways to connect people, and became a lifeline for many by simplifying everyday tasks.
But the emergence of smartphone also has its downfalls, which is why one Redditor asked the Internet: What are the most annoying aspects of smartphone culture?
Avoid these three things and make sure you're not letting your iPhone get the best of you:
1. Disappearing privacy
A growing criticism of smartphones is that they've led to an expanding surveillance culture. There have been several revelations that the U.S. government used operating systems to store, collect, and transmit user data to keep tabs on American citizens. Just ask Edward Snowden.
But another, more basic level of privacy is also being threatened, according to one Redditor:
"The disappearance of privacy. Not even talking on a government level here. I mean like all of your sh*t, all of your secrets, all of your kinky Brazillian fart fetishes are on this metal prick and your mate's girlfriend still think it's hilarious to take your phone and stick it down her bra and run off. F*ck you Brooklyn."
2. Assumed availability
Texts, calls, iMessages, Facebook messages, Skype, and WhatsApp are just some of the ways others may try to communicate with you.
But such convenience comes with a major problem: Owning a smartphone basically means people think you'll be available 24/7.
One Redditor said, "It's the expectation to be present and available at all times. I'm not going to drop everything I'm in the middle of so I can respond to a text, a message or email. Yes, I saw that I received it. No, you're not entitled unconditionally immediate responses."
3. Distraction
One of the best things about having a smartphone is that you're never bored during idle time. But that's also a bad thing when you shouldn't be distracted.
The most common responses from Redditors were about distraction:
"My fiance will ask me a question, and then immediately check her phone from a text or something. I'll give a 10-second answer, and wait for her to put her phone down... then she will say, 'I'm sorry, what?' So irritating. She completely tunes out of everything going on around her when she's checking her phone. It's pretty incredible actually, I've never seen someone become completely unaware of what's going on around them like that."
Smartphones have the ability to transport us, whether we're chatting with family or watching cat videos, but next time you pick up your iPhone, try to be mindful about whether or not it's holding you back.