Cellphones mustn't replace family and friends

29 March 2022 - 09:31
By READER LETTER
Cellphones should be set aside and not steal important time from families to connect. Stock photo.
Image: 123RF Cellphones should be set aside and not steal important time from families to connect. Stock photo.

Have you considered the damage caused by misuse of cellphones? I finally realised that people are prisoners of their phones and it's no wonder they are referred to as "cell phones".

Every time a new tool comes up; whether it's the internet or cellphones, all these things can be used for good or evil. Technology is neutral. It all depends on how it is used. Our cellphones have replaced cameras, watches, calendars and alarm clocks.

We mustn't let them replace our families and friends. Cellphones should be set aside and not steal important time from families to connect. Some people even chat with their secret lovers while lying next to their partners at night.

No-one can deny that technological advancement has eased things with the advent of these little gadgets, but their  abnormal use leaves many families in disarray. High divorce rates, constant bickering, and quarrels owe their existence to cellphones. Sometimes you just need to put down your phone and live in the moment.

Yes, cellphones bring those far from us closer, but can equally take us away from those sitting next to us. How wonderful it would be if we would treat our Bibles the same way we treated our cellphones by carrying them everywhere; turn back to collect them if we forgot them; checked them for messages throughout the day; spend an hour or more each day using them, and used them in case of emergencies. Our cellphones die every day but we die only once.

Why, therefore, do we fail to charge our souls with daily prayers like we charge our cellphones batteries? Cheating is not all about kissing, touching, flirting or penetrating. If you delete text messages so your partner won't see them, you are already there.

Samuel Radebe, Heilbron, Free State