Smart phones a double-edged sword: Experts

Smart phones have now become a necessity, with statistics showing that over 80 percent of young men in the country manage their affairs through their mobile phones and the Internet.
Many social practical and commercial issues are carried out through smart phones, after they became a multipurpose tool.

In a 2013 report about the use of smart phones, Statista, a company specialized in research, showed that Saudi Arabia ranked third in world, with 73.8 percent of the Kingdom’s population using mobile devices for everyday affairs.

Other studies revealed that 85 percent of Saudis use these networks to know what their friends think about a certain restaurant and 73 percent use it to find places such as commercial stores.
Recommendations play an important part in clients’ choice, with 87 percent of Saudis trusting their friends’ recommendations of products and 79 percent trusting a stranger’s opinion.

Majed Al-Saqqaf, a social media expert, confirmed that 90 percent of young men in the country use social media websites, with 95 percent using the WhatsApp application. He added that Saudis spend every year around SR300 to SR500 million on mobile phones.

“I spent most of my time on social media websites, because I get to meet lots of people from various parts of the world and I can polish my talents in addition to spending my free time,” Ammar Omar, a regular user of social networking sites, told Arab News.

According to Mohammad Bafeel, a teacher, social media websites are a way to entertain and build social relations and friendships in various parts of the world, in addition to easy communication with relatives and friends.

However, psychologist Maha Hariri, contends that too much exposure to social media may cause depression, anxiety, isolation and social shame in addition to fear.
“These websites are called indirect communication, and Allah created human beings to communicate directly with one another,” the psychologist said.

Fathiya Al-Qurashi, a professor at the King Abdul Aziz University, argued that smart phones are a double-edged sword, depending on how it is used. When used wrongly, certain people can resort to fulfilling an emotional void through these websites, prompting feelings of anxiety. However, if a person uses the website in a positive manner, he will have more chances of expanding his or her knowledge and build more relations with other people.
But, Al-Qurashi warned, too much usage causes laziness and users tend to only focus on their phones instead of spending quality time with the family.

Source : http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/692601

Lets NOT forget that if we sleep 8 hrs a day & Work 8 hrs a day we only have 8 hours remaining !!!
And we have family, friends & other PEOPLE around us who need our direct communication & care !
When our SmartPhones become more dearer to us than our spouses & kids, then its high time to Divorce that device !!!

Must Watch : https://revivalofthemuslimfamily.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/the-dangers-of-smart-phones-and-social-networking-shaykh-saalih-al-fawzaan/

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