This blog post examines the positive impact smartphones have had on our lives as innovative tools, alongside their negative aspects that can lead to addiction and social problems.
A smartphone is defined as a mobile phone that offers the functions of a personal computer (PC) along with advanced capabilities. Smartphones typically provide not only the basic functions of a mobile phone—calling and text messaging—and the fundamental functions of a PC—input, computation, and output—but also allow users to create documents, listen to audio or music, watch videos, and enjoy internet browsing just like a PC. It can literally be called a PC in your hand. Furthermore, it allows users to take photos and record videos without needing a separate camera or camcorder, and to record voice without a microphone—features not possible with a standard PC. Users can also share photos or videos taken anywhere in real-time with others via SNS (social network service). Moreover, users can install applications available in the market to enjoy entertainment like games or psychological tests anywhere, chat with friends far away while outdoors, download songs or videos, or install memo pads or diary applications in their preferred style for easy use. This allows access to advanced features leveraging the convenience of portability, something PCs cannot offer.
The initial adoption of smartphones was not merely a technological advancement but a pivotal turning point that transformed our society’s way of life. With smartphones, people could completely redefine how they accessed information, profoundly impacting daily life. Whereas people once had to go to libraries or turn on home computers to obtain information, they could now find desired information in seconds using the smartphone in their hand. This maximized individual efficiency and significantly boosted overall societal productivity. Smartphones contributed greatly to enhancing the quality of life beyond mere technological innovation.
As of 2024, South Korea’s smartphone penetration rate exceeds 95%, meaning nearly the entire adult population uses smartphones. This signifies that over 49 million people out of the country’s approximately 52 million population own smartphones. Smartphone usage has become universal not only among the economically active population but also among youth and the elderly, making smartphones an essential tool for all generations. Seventeen years after their initial launch in Korea, smartphones have evolved beyond mere communication devices to become the center of diverse digital services. Many people use smartphones for activities like financial transactions, shopping, healthcare, and education, with AI-linked services developing rapidly. Furthermore, the introduction of 5G networks enables ultra-fast internet access via smartphones, allowing technologies like real-time streaming, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) to play a larger role in daily life. Looking ahead, the introduction of 6G networks is expected to further expand the capabilities and influence of smartphones. Thus, smartphones have become an indispensable tool in the daily lives of people in our country today, and their importance will only continue to grow.
Smartphones have permeated every corner of our lives, revealing their importance across diverse fields. For instance, the widespread adoption of remote medical consultations via smartphones has significantly improved access to healthcare services. This provides substantial benefits, particularly for the elderly or disabled with mobility issues, while also enhancing the overall efficiency of the healthcare system. Furthermore, smartphones have established themselves as innovative tools in the field of education. By creating an environment where learning can occur anytime, anywhere via smartphones, new learning methods are being introduced that transcend the limitations of traditional classroom education. This shift accelerated significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role of smartphones in future educational environments is expected to become even more crucial.
Indeed, looking at the development process of smartphones to date, it is clear that the pace of advancement has been incredibly rapid and is only accelerating. In 2007, Apple’s iPhone was first released, marking the beginning of smartphones dubbed “computers in your hand.” They earned this name because they enabled internet access just like a PC. Then, starting in 2008, applications began to be sold. From this point on, smartphones became mobile phones offering not just internet access but also other advanced features.
As of 2024, smartphone technology has advanced further, achieving revolutionary changes in performance and functionality. Smartphones have moved beyond being simple communication tools to establish themselves as powerful computing devices. Diverse functions enabled by applications—such as gaming, precise GPS-based location tracking, and social networking services (SNS)—have transcended everyday smartphone use. They are now essential tools in nearly every field, including work, education, health management, and entertainment.
Smartphone processing speed is no longer determined solely by the number of CPU cores. Current smartphones come equipped with octa-core (8 cores) processors as standard, and are supplemented with high-performance AI-dedicated processors (NPUs, Neural Processing Units) and graphics processing units (GPUs), providing higher levels of computational speed and multitasking performance. These high-performance processors enable the smooth handling of highly complex, high-specification tasks like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), real-time game streaming, and AI-based personalized services. Furthermore, advancements in network technology have led to the global commercialization of 5G, which offers speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G LTE, enabling ultra-fast data transmission and lag-free streaming. Currently, 6G technology is under development, and it is expected that smartphones will provide even faster speeds and greater connectivity. Meanwhile, while there have been observations that the pace of semiconductor technology advancement is not as rapid as before, current smartphones continue to improve performance through software optimization, artificial intelligence, and the introduction of new architectures. Semiconductor technology continues to evolve toward increasingly finer processes, with 3nm process chipsets now commercially available. This contributes to maximizing performance while enhancing power efficiency and reducing heat generation. These changes have advanced smartphone performance to levels no longer comparable to computers. Smartphones now serve as powerful personal computing devices, driving innovative changes across various industries and our daily lives.
With smartphones getting faster, people find it easier than ever to access information. They can easily find destinations using internet searches or GPS-based navigation features, and quickly look up unknown words or other information through various dictionary applications. Furthermore, without needing to diligently check newspapers or news outlets, users can access real-time news and hot issues anytime by simply turning on the internet, allowing them to stay informed about world events at any moment. Smartphones enable fast, convenient internet access anytime, anywhere. Smartphones also provide entertainment like various games, music, and videos. They support free calls and texts between users, or communication via SNS, making them ideal for passing the time quickly during long trips or when bored.
However, alongside the widespread adoption of smartphones, problems like smartphone addiction and the rise of the ‘thumb generation’ (a term referring to the new generation who use their thumbs to swiftly make calls, search for information, and enjoy games) are becoming increasingly prominent. Students with smartphones often become engrossed in smartphone games or SNS, neglecting their studies. The rise of thumb tribes, who rely on smartphones for everything, is gradually eroding habits like reading books, conversations with family, and chats among friends. There is also a growing trend in the incidence of adult diseases due to lack of exercise. Furthermore, compared to computers, smartphones offer easier access to pornography and harmful websites, posing a risk to the mental health of adolescents.
The problem of smartphone addiction extends beyond affecting individual lives, exerting negative impacts on society as a whole. For instance, people overly dependent on smartphones may become alienated in real human relationships, potentially leading to feelings of social isolation and depression. Particularly for adolescents, excessive smartphone use can lower academic achievement and reduce face-to-face interaction with friends, negatively affecting social development. Therefore, to address these issues, there is a growing need for education on smartphone usage alongside promoting diverse leisure activities that can serve as alternatives.
Furthermore, like all electronic devices, the electromagnetic waves emitted by smartphones themselves may have adverse effects on the body. Since smartphones are carried everywhere, we are constantly exposed to the electromagnetic waves they emit. ‘Electromagnetic waves increase body temperature through microwaves. This can elevate eye temperature, leading to cataracts, and raise body temperature, increasing stress and potentially causing nervous exhaustion. Furthermore, electromagnetic waves may stimulate hormone secretion, causing uneven hormone distribution in specific organs and potentially affecting reproductive organs, which could have adverse effects on offspring. Furthermore, since electricity flows through the skin, it can cause skin problems and may lead to insomnia and nervousness, disrupting sound sleep.
The future of smartphones will extend far beyond mere technological advancement, profoundly impacting all aspects of human life. Future smartphones will increasingly supplement what we need. Films capable of blocking exposure to the microwaves emitted by electromagnetic waves, as mentioned earlier, will be developed. Beyond that, features will emerge starting with obstacle detection for users who fail to notice obstacles ahead while staring at their phones. GPS will track the locations of all family members, ensuring everyone is aware for safety. Functions like facial recognition or body temperature detection via the display, or health checks through external devices, will be possible. Or, with changes in interface and design, features we never imagined will become reality—like interfaces interacting with the pupil inside the eye, soon to be released, or displays made of fluid materials that won’t break.
The evolution of smartphones will bring about another transformation. For instance, personalized health management through smartphones is expected to become commonplace in the future. Smartphone sensors will monitor users’ health status in real-time and, when necessary, instantly transmit data to medical professionals, enabling swift diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, the smartphone’s artificial intelligence will analyze users’ daily patterns to suggest better lifestyle habits, serving as a tool to aid overall well-being through stress management, sleep improvement, and more. While such technological advances will make our lives more convenient and healthier, they may simultaneously increase our dependence on smartphones.
Future smartphones will bring us even more convenient features, and we will become increasingly immersed in them. As the saying goes, “too much of a good thing,” the rapid advancement of smartphones could lead people to rely solely on them, neglecting human relationships or developing health issues like lifestyle diseases due to lack of exercise. To prevent this, we must proactively learn to use smartphones wisely. We must cultivate the ability to control ourselves to use smartphones appropriately and minimize their side effects. If we do so, smartphones will establish themselves as tools that enrich our lives.
