Young people use cellphones to kill time while waiting for their trains in Huaibei Railway Station in Anhui province. WAN SHANCHAO/ASIA NEWS PHOTO

Many people Zhang follows on social media have studied abroad. She can learn about the countries they live in through their posts.

"Seeing different people's lives online fulfills my curiosity and enriches my life," she says.

Her path to overseas study became clear through posts by an Nankai alumnus, who earned a PhD in the United Kingdom.

Zhang used information she discovered via her smartphone about UK media study programs.

It helped her locate specific programs and calculate her chances of enrollment.

She received offers from the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science this year.

Tan Anlyu, a data engineer at Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp, believes phones make life more efficient.

He also points out that a smartphone is also only another tool to kill time.

"People immersed themselves in computers in the PC era," he says.

"People fiddle with their phones in the smartphone era. I don't see a huge difference."

Tan warns that smartphone users should beware of leaking personal information.

"When downloading a new app, beware of certain requests like accessing contacts," he says.

"It's also important to avoid inserting private information like ID numbers."

Indeed, it's a reminder addiction isn't the only risk our phones pose.

The question becomes－given the upsides－are the risks worth taking?

Contact the writer at zhangzefeng@chinadaily.com.cn