Impact of Cell Phones - Essay Example

Computer Sciences and Information Technology Computer sciences and Information Technology: Have Cell Phones changed us socially? Introduction Mobile phones are viewed as being one of the most significant and revolutionary devices in the modern times. Martin Cooper who invented the device changed the world in both negative and positive way. The impact of mobile phones has been felt across the globe and doctors and professors had predicted that this invention would have a huge impact on societies at large. However, they failed to predict that mobile phones would result in the establishment of a ‘new word’ with numerous advantages as well as disadvantages. People argue that mobile phones are impacting on our day-to-day communication, relationships as well as the lives of students and teenagers (Shelly and Vermeet, 2010). In spite of the numerous benefits that are liked with the use of the device, people state that there are a couple of disadvantages associated with the use of the device. Asides from the nature of mobile phones, they have been known to transmit waves that can cause damage to the brain cells. This research analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of mobile phones. Advantages Mobile phones are popular in the modern world as they individuals can communicate in a faster and more convenient way. People state that they communicate more efficiently with their friends and families regardless of where they are. People can reach their friends and family by sending message or making calls thereby maintain a close relationship with members of their families and friends. It can therefore be stated that mobile phones are used as a way of maintaining close relationships with friends and family in different parts of the world. Furthermore mobile phones can be used to take and send photos them. Finally, parents can keep close contact with their children and they do not have to worry about their whereabouts all the time (Shelly and Vermeet, 2010). This is highly efficient especially when dealing with teenagers. Most people are of the view that cell phones are convenient and come in handy in emergencies. For instance, if one is lost, they can ask for directions using cell phones or even check for directions on the web using them (Henline and Harris, 2006). Thirdly, if one is stuck on the freeway or their car breaks they can call for help from their friends. Fourthly, cell phones are use to convey messages about medical emergencies and get the needed help. This shows that cell phones have made lives easier since one can easily get the help needed incase of an emergency. Mobile phones provide a way for people to access information. In the modern world, information is power and mobile phones offer a fast and affordable way of assessing this information through using mobile internet (Henline and Harris, 2006). This is mostly important for students that are required to conduct research on various areas of study. Mobile phones are also used by business men to access quick and fast information on trends in the market. People use mobile phones to access important information including the prices of products, availability of products as well as fast and timely information on what is going on in the political and social circles in their countries and world over. Mobile phones have change the way people communicate mainly in the formal sector. This is because communicating using the device especially when dealing with customers requires individuals to be professional and courteous (Henline and Harris, 2006). This can help improving ones communication skills. Additionally, individuals develop positive interacting habits when communicating with their colleagues and seniors in over the phone. Cell phones have changed the way people spend their time. This is owing to the fact that they have numerous features that they can make use in their free time. For example, they can listen to music, watch videos, play games and surf (Marsden and Wright, 2010). This device serves as a form of entertainment and one can spend their free time by using one of these features. These features are mainly important for teenagers who work towards keeping up with the latest trends in the social and technological spheres (Hertlein and Ancheta, 2014). This is related to the point that mobile phones are used structure their lives. For instance, the alarm clock feature is used to wake people up, the calendar enables one to schedule meetings and make reminders for important dates. Mobile phones have left to a paradigm shift in culture. This is owing to the fact that it is mandatory for all individuals to have a cell phone mainly as a means of communication. Cell phones facilitate the pace of globalization and information can be shared by individuals in different parts of the world (Hertlein, 2012). Additionally, there has been an emerging culture among the young people to own a fancy cell phone as a form of communication, a medium of getting the latest news in the social scene and a form of entertainment using the latest apps (Shelly and Vermeet, 2010). The above discussion clearly shows how cell phones have impacted on social lives in a positive way. Disadvantages Use of mobile phones leads to increased distraction in the workplace and in schools (Komnakos et al., 2008). People argue that workers focus too much on their cell phones and neglect their work. This leads to increased conflicts in the work place as they may be overly distracted to complete their tasks on time. This influence is also felt widely across the education sector. Students are distracted through the continued use of cell phones and fail to concentrate on their studies. This results to a decline in the academic performance. Furthermore, students are unable to complete their tasks on a timely basis and they experience problems with their teachers and parents. Cell phones have caused families and family to grow apart. In the case of families, children and teenagers spend so much time on their mobile phones that they do not have time to hold a regular conversation with their parents and siblings (Komnakos et al., 2008). Moreover, people fail to recognize the need to visit their friends since they can simply make a phone call and stay in touch with them. This makes the bonds between families weaker. Mobile phones also weaken bonds of friendships since individuals rarely visit their friends. Generally, cell phones have resulted into the weakening bonds in society. Mobile phones have enabled easy and fast access of the internet. This has resulted into erosion of a couple of positive cultures. People are against the use of cell phones since they have led into a decline in the culture of visiting libraries to read books. It has also resulted into a decline in social activities (Curt, 2007). For example, people no longer meet up for parties and other forms of social gatherings as they used to. The use of the internet in the education sector has resulted into widespread laziness since students can access all the information they need from the touch of a button. People are against the use of cell phones since teenagers are addicted to their use. Teenagers mainly use cell phones to take part in destructive activities. These may entail posting negative comments on the web, taking photos and playing violent or immoral games thereby forgetting the actual purpose of the cell phones which is communication (Curt, 2007). The increased use of cell phones results into rising levels of cyber bullying. This is mainly based on friendships, physical appearance and sexuality. People can make negative comments on social media sites and negatively influences the victims. Conclusion The above essay clearly shows the advantages and disadvantages of the use of cell phones in the social scene. It is important for us to accept that cell phones are here to stay and instead of condemning their use, individuals are advised to use them constructively to their advantage. References Curt, W. (2007). Data communications and computer networks: A business users approach. (7th ed.). Cengage Learning. Henline, B. H., & Harris, S. M. (2006). Pros and cons of technology use within close relationships. Posterpresented at the annual conference of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Austin, TX, October 19-22, 2006. Hertlein, K. M., & Ancheta, K. (2014).Advantages and disadvantages of technology in relationships: Findings from an open-ended survey. The Qualitative Report, 19(22), 1-11. Hertlein, K. M. (2012). Digital dwelling: Technology in couple and family relationships. Family Relations, 61(3), 374-387. Held, G. (2007). Inter- and intra-vehicle communications. CRC Press. Komnakos, D., Vouyioukas, D., Maglogiannis, I., & Constantinou, P. (2008). Performance Evaluation of an Enhanced Uplink 3.5G System for Mobile Healthcare Applications. International Journal Of Telemedicine & Applications, 1-11. Marsden, P. V., & Wright, J. D. (2010). Handbook of survey research. Emerald Group Publishing. Shelly, G., & Vermeet, M. (2010). Discovering computers 2011: Complete. Cengage Learning. Questionnaire The following is a questionnaire that was given to five interviewees to find out their views on the use of cell phones: Would live without a cell phone? How do you a cell phone in your daily activities? Does the use of a cell phone affect your personal relationship with your friends and family? How many minutes do you spend on your cell phone daily? All the individuals that were interviewed stated that they cannot live without cell phones. They indicated that they use their communicating, sending text messages, surfing and playing games. Some of the individuals stated that cells phone facilitate personal relationships positively and others stated that cell phones negatively affect their relationships. Finally, individuals stated that most individuals spent over three hours daily. Read More