Why Are We So Reliant on Smartphones in The Modern Environment?
Why Are We So Reliant on Smartphones In The Modern Environment?
The vast majority of us are heavily reliant on our smartphone devices, whether to listen to music or send messages to our nearest and dearest. They’re powerful miniature tools with a comprehensive selection of innovative features, such as the high-quality cameras they possess and the diverse range of applications they can house. They’re amazing.
Despite the apparent innovation in today’s phones, not everyone fully understands why anyone would want to immerse themselves in devices like Samsung and Apple. Sure, they use them on occasion to make or receive calls and send the odd email, but people are going beyond that.
Instead, today’s phones are helping many members of society plan their days, find love online, execute fitness plans, and so much more.
So, with society becoming even more reliant on smartphones in 2025, we look at some key reasons behind our obsession with checking notifications and posting on social media platforms like Instagram below.
A desire to stay connected
Let’s face it: the online world is a fantastic place. Likewise, the fact that we can converse despite being in a foreign land is clever when you really think about it. As such, how we can communicate so easily has resulted in an over-reliance on it.
In the past, people were perhaps used to not speaking to each other for a few days and generally made contact through letters and the occasional postcard. Nowadays, the ease with which we can connect with our contacts has made us more needy.
As a result, we’re desperate to remain connected at all times; we don’t want to miss out on any notifications, and there’s always a general need to keep checking our phones for the latest updates.
The dopamine hit
Following on from the last point, when referring to society’s need to constantly stay connected, receiving a retweet on X or some love on WhatsApp triggers a release of dopamine that enables us to feel pleasure and reward. With that in mind, it’s a powerful feeling many people regularly require. A wave of positive replies to a holiday snap on Instagram can improve someone’s mood, while sharing a hot take on Facebook that people agree with can also provide a dopamine hit.
A portable entertainment tool
Given the power the average smartphone today possesses, users essentially have a miniature computer sitting in their pockets. They’re capable of handling leading movies; people are streaming music on Spotify on their morning commutes, they’re playing online casino games, and they’re scrolling through social media searching for viral clips and controversial posts. Where other entertainment options require people to be at home and on the couch, a smartphone can accompany players throughout their day and keep boredom at bay when it takes over.
A fashion accessory
Of course, the following reason doesn’t apply to everyone, but for the fashionistas among us, smartphones have become a key part of their look. Some people feel naked without their phones, but it isn’t always because they miss receiving texts; it’s because their designer phone case or their swanky new device would make their outfit pop even further. Essentially, for many people, smartphones are also fashion accessories.
Evolution
Finally, some research has even found that humans are wired to look for and respond to stimuli. Smartphones provide this, with their constant wave of notifications and immense power now tapping into this natural drive we’ve developed.
