“Don’t Stop Believin’,” a popular song by Journey, has been turned into a popular ringtone over 20 years after its initial release. This is just one of the things smart phones have made possible.

 So are these newer phones, “smart phones,” really making people smarter, or are they doing the opposite?

I say they are making people more technologically savvy, but not smarter.

With all of the games, applications, calendar reminders, and language translators, these “smart phones” are actually making their owners more dependent on technology to go about their daily lives.

In a social aspect, three friends might be out to dinner and use their smart phone to calculate tip, but what if you took away their smart phones? You’d probably get three people furiously attempting to crunch numbers in their heads, possibly resulting in questionable results.

We also use these phones to distract and isolate us all through our daily lives. For example, in a classroom setting, a student might stop listening to the teacher and go on their phone to text message a friend, in turn missing out on answers for an upcoming test.

I think of the reasons why these smart phones are so prevalent is they are sold in mass quantities and advertised far more than some cars and trucks are.

All of this advertising forms society’s expectations around what you should and shouldn’t have. These smart phones, are seen as a “must have” in most metropolitan areas, and are carried by all types of people, whether it be students, teachers, a gas station attendant or the CEO of Apple, most people have bought into having a smart phone.

Granted, these smart phones do have good abilities too. For instance, when you’re in a car accident and need to call for help, a smart phone can do that.  But with all of the features that these phones have they are debilitating the users.

As fads come and go, I think the smart phone will as well.

So phone companies and mobile device users, do you feel lucky?