Reasons Why the Use of Cellphones in Public Places Should Not Be Banned - Essay Example

?Reasons Why The Use of Cellphones in Public Places Should Not Be Banned We live in an age of constant connectivity and instant communication. Mobilephones have proven to be connectivity and communication gadgets that have become more and more important in human life because of its multiple functions and features that help ease the stress of daily living and allows for instant communication during important times. Admittedly, the rise in mobile phone use over the decades has seen some negative effects upon our society. But those negative effects do not seem to outweigh the positive impact that cellphone use has on the mobile public. There is a growing call from the members of our society to ban cellphones in public. This is a movement that seems to be gaining ground across the states ever since New York passed their city council resolution banning the use of cellphones in cinemas, restaurants, and theatres. Even cities in foreign countries such as London, England have made moves to limit the public use of the mobile phone. I feel that the moves of these cities, which are on opposite ends of the world, to curtail the freedom of expression and right to remain connected with one another should be stopped before it becomes a world wide trend. It is an infringement on our universal human rights and should not be tolerated in any part of the world. There is absolutely no reason to ban the use of cellphones in public places. In fact, doing so will instead create a bigger problem for our society in terms of personal and public safety. It is difficult to walk in the streets these days without seeing a person who isn't on his mobile phone. Be it a friendly chat or something truly important, we have to admit that there are opportune and inopportune times and places for people to be using their mobile phones. When a person uses his mobile phone during the wrong times, this can cause annoyance, interference, and disruption in the normal function of our society. Those who support the total ban of cellphone use in public places do so because, as everyone tends to notice, people who are talking on their mobile phones while walking or in public places like restaurants and cinemas, tend to do so at the top of their lungs, I am not sure if that is because of a bad signal reception or because they are simply hard of hearing. Whatever the reason, shouting into your cellphone while in a public place is an embarrassing nuisance to those around you. However, if the only reason that cellphone use in public places is being frowned upon is because it poses a discomfort to those who do not happen to be on their mobile phones at the time, perhaps something can be done to lessen the hassle that they perceive to be undergoing when placed in the company of people who regularly use their cellphones. In other words, maybe the ban on cellphone use in public can be prevented, for as long as cellphone users learn to exercise good manners and proper etiquette when using the gadget in a public setting. Simple etiquette such as placing the ringer on vibrate rather than letting the phone ring to the latest Lady Gaga pop tune would show that you respect the activity of people who are doing other things, such as eating, reading or writing next to you. Every cellphone is capable of notifying you of your latest text message or phone call without having to throw an impromptu concert in the process. Of course conversations in public cannot be helped. In fact, we all communicate with one another when out in public and we do not seem to have a problem with the mix of words and discussions in public places as a society. Which is why I wonder as to why people protest the use of mobile phones so much. It's still a method of carrying on a conversation, that's all. But, just to show respect for those who do not wish to know what is going in the life of the person using the cellphone, it won't hurt to learn how to modulate your voice in order to keep a semblance of privacy within your conversation. Nobody really needs to know that you forgot to feed the cat before you left the house. Although these simple methods of etiquette and good manners are quite well known to most people, there is a tendency for people to not even try to exhibit these qualities in public. Let us remember that cellphones are the first line of protection for people in public places. Anytime that you feel in danger, you can just whip out that phone and speed dial the police department. Or, as in the case of dire situations, the mobile phone can spell the difference between making your relatives panic or rest easy that you are safe. It is important for people to have complete and open access to their cellphones, most specially in these unsure times. You never know when a madman will go on a rampage in public. That cellphone can spell the difference between getting the police there in time to save lives or getting to the scene of the crime with no lives to save. Cellphones are more than just a communication gadget these days. It also documents history and reports news in real time. It allows people to become active participants in ensuring the safety of their community because of its still and video camera capabilities that are packed into that one little device. Remember those news reports you see in the news of people running away from gunmen at the mall or children doing their best to get to safety after a gunman attacks their school? Yes, those were mostly shot by concerned citizens using their cellphones. Thanks to this gadget, it makes it easier to catch a crime in action and identify a criminal. If a person with a cellphone were present in the area where Trevon Martin and George Zimmerman crossed paths, we would not have any question as to what really happened that night. Should the need arise for such a ban to be considered in the future, rather than having the city governments ban the use of cellphones in public, they should instead embark on an educational campaign for the proper use of the instrument. After all, the cellphone does more than just make phone calls these days and to be without when the need arises just because of an unreasonable ban does not make sense. Remember that just because a few people are inconvenienced and they happen to have the power to force their will upon the majority of our society, that does not make them right. Even though the local government has the ability to jam our cellphone signals using signal jammers if they wish, moves like that to ban cellphone use in public does not mean that is the right thing to do. All the ban on cellphone use in public will accomplish is the creation of a very unsafe area for people to be in because it will be difficult to call for help or protection. In other words, the ban on public use of cellphones will send our society back in time to the dark ages when the only way to contact one another when out in public was by tracking down a working pay phone. Most of which were quite few and far between. Read More