If smart phones keep people occupied and happy, what harm can it really do?

When four of my friends whipped out their iPhones in unison to check their micro blogs, I'll admit I felt a sense of uneasiness and isolation creep in. Suddenly I was the odd one out for not having a phone that gave me a direct link to the social network. As they busily updated their status with illustrative shots of the very dinner we were eating together, I sat in silence.

I've always held that the obsession with gadgets, like cutting-edge cell phones, only indicates the severity of the loneliness among metropolitans. I was proud of the fact I was able to resist the temptation and stick to my artless propensities, such as hanging out with my friends and enjoying some quality time reading or writing. Yet, at that moment I was deprived of companionship.

Oddly enough, as I reached into my pocket for my plain cell phone to check the time minutes later, an unexpected onset of shame pulled my hand away. Later, I wondered how and why I would let my earlier persuasion waver and start to yearn for my friends' high-tech telecommunication tools?

I yielded for two reasons. First, I was aware that I did not want my phone to be overshadowed by theirs with myriad bells and whistles, nor did I want to declare my austere stand, as that momentary thinking convinced me that it would reflect badly on myself.

Second, and arguably more profound, is that my vainglorious alter ego wants to fit in, because following my friends' popular tastes would keep me from feeling left out when they engage in excited talk about micro blogging.

My behavior led me to the revelation: if products like the iPhone can keep someone happily occupied and stop them feeling lonely, what harm can they do?

I remembered all the conversations I've had with friends and colleagues about what they plan to do on weekends, the answers becoming more and more predictable: sleeping, watching a movie, KTV, eating out. Then they all claim these modes of entertainment start to pall.

So if these inventions offer pleasant diversions, what's wrong with that?

However, we still need to use them wisely. It's always advisable to notice the side effects. Take micro blogs, for example. Many give credit to the way they allow interpersonal communication, but people seldom realize what other impacts they have.

When I registered an account to catch up with friends, it didn't take long before I lost interest. What I found was an overwhelming amount of minutely pert remarks and petty grievances. Looking for valuable news is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Another problem is the character limit. It allows users to make up fake news and corrupts people's capacity for reasoning and critical thinking.

The recent experience of Huang Yibo, a lovable teenager who acts like an adult politician, is a case in point. He was demonized in the media and then a good number of people wrongfully laid into him and arbitrarily interpreted his precocious nature as abnormal.

I'm not saying micro blogs are at fault, nor iPhones. It's just that we must enter into these things with our eyes open and retain better judgment. Above all, they should serve as an extension to our lives, not be the center.

The author works for Chinadaily.com. To comment, e-mail metrobeijing@chinadaily.com.cn. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of METRO.

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(China Daily 05/17/2011)