As we all know, smartphones are very relevant in the world today.
Most likely you will see someone with a smartphone anywhere you go. They are extremely popular and are very dynamic. They can provide a person with a lot of things; whether that may be contacting others via text or phone call, surfing the net online from their phone, or something as simple as playing games on their phone.
Smartphones serve many purposes; they can even help people to stay healthy. They allow people to search health issues and to become aware of whatever they need to know about. Young people are more likely to use smartphones than older people, who will rely on computers to search any health issues they are curious about. “Nearly 100 million Americans own a smartphone, but “younger people use them very differently,” said John Mangano, a vice president of comScore, an online research firm. Three of the top five symptoms searched for on Yahoo Mobile in January were early pregnancy, herpes and H.I.V. None of these symptoms showed up among the top searches on desktop computers, which are more likely to be used by older people.” (nytimes.com) Smartphones provide the younger generation any information that is can be helpful to them in regards to staying healthy.
Smartphones do not only provide information to young people, but they can also be a tool to help them manage their health. “Besides tracking signs of pregnancy and various sexually transmitted diseases, mobile device owners frequently downloaded apps to help manage their eating, drinking and exercise, according to Everyday Health, an online company that has 30 million visitors a month to its health, diet and exercise Web sites.” (nytimes.com)
As you can see, smartphones have the ability to even help someone stay healthy. This helpful tool can result in better health among many people. I think it is amazing how far technology has come, and how we now can benefit from the many advantages that technology provides us with.
Source:
The New York Times. The New York Times. Web. 03 Apr. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com>.
I like the title of your blog, because it really got me thinking. I feel like we mostly focus on the con's of technology, and not always the pros, so it is nice to see a different view. I do agree that now it is much easier to whip out your smart phone and look up 'great exercises in 10 minutes' or other healthy beneficial things. And this has been a huge benefit for those who might not get to see a doctor or don't want to see a doctor with an illness so simple like a cold. Instead the symptoms can be searched at the click of a button. One app that I thought of right away after reading your blog is called "GoodGuide". It is mainly for iphones, but the point of it is for customers to be able to see where the products they are buying comes from by the item's barcode. Or answering other questions such as how was it produced? Is it 'green' friendly? (etc) I think this is a really good addition to the apps in our society. To learn a little more about it, you can visit this website: http://www.goodguide.com/about/mobile
ReplyDeleteAnd it's definitely a lot easier to look up country of origin with a smartphone than to memorize the UPC tag for every country.
DeleteHey kelsey i enjoyed your blog and also agree that smartphones are a huge part of our lives now a days. I liked how you brought in the fact that smart phones can help peopole stay healthy. I use my smart phone to look up things all the time. Do you think that smart phones will make an actual difference in how people live their lives or do you think that they will end up being just another cool toy for the technological savy?
ReplyDeleteSmart phones really are handy when you are in a health crisis. My friend was not feeling well one day, so she googled her symptoms. It turned out she had early signs of pneumonia, and she went to the hospital. They caught it early, and she was healthy within a few days. This is just one of the many examples of smart phones helping people who struggle with their health.
ReplyDeleteThough I have never used my smartphone to search any symptoms of diseases, as a long-distance runner I am extremely appreciative of the GPS capabilities of most smartphones. Previously in order to use Nike+, a run statistics program created and supported by Nike, I would have to calibrate the accelerometer in my shoe every so often in order to make sure it was still tracking accurately, and sync and go online in order to actually see my run. Now, with the Nike+GPS application, I can track my run in real-time and see exactly where I am, my pace for every point in my run, and total statistics as I run, in addition to being able to ditch my accelerometer, making it just that much easier to get up and go whenever you feel like it. And, as you said, this is just one of the many ways smartphones are helping us (especially the younger generation) to stay healthy.
ReplyDeleteI can agree with you that smartphones can make us healthier. I myself have looked up health related issues on the internet or smart phones. Also there are apps in which your smartphone will count your miles ran or even talk to you on your run. Smartphones can make us healthier through eating advice or even exercise motivation.
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