Yeo Yong Liang and Travis Tan Teenagers using smartphones

Reader response
I agree with the author in the viewpoint that we should not worry about teenagers using smartphones. As a teenager myself, I must agree that using smartphones has had many large beneficial effects on my life. For example, smartphones can easily kill boredom during inevitable timeframes of the day, like riding on a train where smartphones can allow you to occupy yourself by doing things like listening to music, playing games, reading e-books, instead of blankly staring into space while waiting for the train to arrive at your destination. The use of smartphones have also allowed students to be able to complete work quicker and easier. When they are unable to remember a mathematical formula, a quick press on the smartphones will give them their answer, instead of having to flip through every single mathematics textbook in order to find out the formula. However, smartphones are also definitely a double-edged sword. In a scenario where one is searching for solutions to a problem regarding his work, a single message from a good friend might lead you into endless chatting between both of you, and before you know it, precious time has been wasted and the task is still not completed. Smartphones can bring easy access to the unlimited amount of information on the web, but surely major distractions will also be more accessible to teenagers. This will significantly lower their work productivity if one is easily distracted. Only with one's clever use of these smartphones can they keep focused on their work and abstain from being easily distracted by the smartphone. Yet, the occasional distraction is still necessary, to prevent one from being labelled as a workaholic and for one to live life to the fullest. Therefore, the use of smartphones by teenagers is not a major concern to the livelihood of the young generation.

Summary
People worry about the teenagers' use of mobile phones because they are afraid that teenagers might get addicted to using mobile phones for social networking and for online games, none of which benefit them. However people should not only look at the disadvantages of using mobile phones as using mobile phones come with many advantages as well. By using mobile phones, teenagers are able to sharpen their quick-wittedness, multitasking skills, problem solving skills and also the ability to gather information from a bountiful of sources. Furthermore, they can learn to be independent as information is just a touch away. In a nuthsell, using a mobile phone brings about many positive effects and helps in the development of teenagers.