Smartphones Affecting People - Research Paper Example

 Smartphones Affecting People Introduction A smart phone is an advanced mobile phone built with computer functionalities. Over the last few years, technology has changed the tools of communication and how people communicate (Donner & Steenson 10). A Smartphone evolved from the combination of a personal digital assistant (PDA) functionality with that of a cell phone. Smart phones are no doubt one of the best devices developed by technology over the years. A smartphone is small in size, and more advanced in mobile computing and connectivity than a cell phone. A smartphone not only makes phone calls, but also has features like sending and receiving e-mail, as well as editing office documents (Robert 18). In the past, only a computer and a personal digital assistant (PDA) had such features. This paper will explain how smart phone affect people and how companies market the phones. A smartphone combines the functions of the mobile phone, camera phone, and personal digital assistant. The latest smartphones combine the functions of portable media players, pocket video cameras, GPS navigation units, and low end compact digital cameras. Some of the modern, smartphones include web browsers, capability to access and display standard web pages, super speed data access via Wi-Fi, and high resolution touch screens. The device incorporates games and several applications. The smartphone allows users to stay connected to the internet without time limitations. The smartphone also allows users to connect to the internet whenever and wherever they need. The smartphone incorporates a wide variety of new features that resembles a hand held computer that makes phone calls. The smartphone, such as the I-phone, makes face to face video calls. The phone records and plays high definition movies. The improved screen resolution erases all evidence of pixilation. History The IBM Simon smartphone, designed in 1992, became the first smartphone in history (Arthur 1).The phone had no keypad. It was full touch screen and used the fingers or a stylus to operate. The phone had a unique predictive keyboard used for texting. IBM Simon had a calendar notepad, world clock, email client, and a calculator. The phone was able to send and receive faxes and had a vast number of games. After IBM Simon, Nokia became the second phone company to introduce a line of smartphones in the market. The Nokia communicator line released the first Nokia smartphone, Nokia 9000, in 1996 (Arthur 1). This was an integration of Nokia’s best selling phone and the personal digital assistant (PDA) by Hewlett Packard HP. The communicators have a QWERTY keyboard and a PDA under the flip top. The phone uses GEOS V3.0 operating system which allows email and text based web browsing. In 2000, Nokia released a new model, Nokia 911i, which could browse the web better. Palm International released the first smartphone, Kyocera 6035 which got popular in the United States in early 2001 (Hancon 1). The smartphone operated on the Verizon Wireless network and combined the features of a PDA and cell phone. Kyocera 6035 smartphone had limited web browsing and did not penetrate the market outside North America. In 2002, Rim Company released Blackberry line of smartphone and achieved a vast number of clients due to optimized email use. Erickson Company became the first to use the smartphone name in 1997, after it unveiled GS88 phone and named it smartphone. Erickson R380 smartphone, released in 2000, became the first device to use an open operating system called symbian operating system. It was also the first gadget to be released in the market and sell as a smartphone. The phone got acknowledged as the most innovative device in science and technology by that time. It was small in size and weighed as a normal mobile phone. In 2000, Nokia released Nokia 9210 communicator, the first color screen Smartphone with the symbian operating system. Nokia later released the 9500 communicator, the first camera and Wi-Fi smartphone. Nokia’s latest communicator has a GPS and is the most expensive smartphone in the market today (Hancon 1). In October 2011, Nokia introduced a new line of smartphones which use windows phone as the operating system. Apple International released the first I-phone in 2007. The phone became the first to have a multi touch interface feature. In 2011, a new model the I-phone got released. The phone has an eight megapixel camera and video, a world phone, and a dual core A5 processor. Smartphone development continues to grow with leading manufacturers releasing newer models almost on a weekly basis. Smartphones have played a key role in the century’s technology invention. The growth rate of the smartphone is increasing at a high rate, and the market is enlarging by the day. This shows that the smartphone continues to evolve in order to satisfy the needs of the market (Laird 1). Uses of the smartphone Smartphones numerous applications usage has attributed to their rapid growth. The device is a marvelous piece of technology with many uses (Tobak 1). The basic importance of a smartphone is a tool of communication. A smartphone combines both telephone and mobile internet. Emailing is a form of communication which is gaining popularity and has become a large part of people’s lives (Brad 1). Emails constitute to a growing amount of communication, both formal and informal. Smartphone has made it easier to access emails everywhere and at any time. A smartphone has a camera that enables the user to keep pictures of memorable moments or historic events at all times (Tobak 1). The device also allows users to upload the pictures straight to the social network sites. The device can be used to take videos while on the go. The device has a universal translator, a calculator, a world clock, GPS, numerous types of games, and fun applications. These fun applications help the user to do creative things, for example, manipulate pictures (Brad 1). The smartphone allows users to have a face to face conversation regardless of the distance between them. It allows the user to see what friends are up to instantly with the help of social networking links. The smartphone allows the user to visit various places of interest such as hotels and do bookings online without any hustles. Most employees are able to reply and send work related emails using smartphone while commuting to work. This has seen the productivity of companies improve because employees have time to do office work away from the office (Adler 1). Effects of the smartphone Smartphones have revolutionized the lives of many people globally. The device is one of the best pieces of technology developed over the years. The easy portability and the numerous numbers of applications have made the device become part and parcel of people’s lives. A walk in the street shows almost everybody carrying a Smartphone in their hands and busy tapping the device. Commuters, especially in public means no longer have animated chats, read newspapers or take naps. Almost everybody is seen to be busy with a smartphone and not interested with the neighbor or the surrounding (Robert 92). Business people get busy catching latest business news and picking up emails before they get into office. User statistics show that smartphone users make more calls and text messages compared to regular cell phone users. Teenagers constitute the largest number of smartphone users. Nowadays, they are ditching traditional activities like watching TV and reading in favor of using their smartphones. Teenagers also have the habit of not switching their smartphones even in prohibited areas such as a library. This is mostly due to addiction. Teenagers often compete to have many friends in the social network sites, making many of them to stay connected almost all the time. This in turn, leads to addiction behavior which leads them to constantly update their statuses on social networks so as to maintain friendships. Many smartphone users have admitted to using them everywhere from the bathroom to bedroom (McCafferty 1). In a typical family setup, parents and children are spending most of their times doing stuff in their smartphones at the expense of family bonding time. The children are busy playing games and socializing whereas the parents may be surfing the internet for various purposes. In the social setting, it has been found that friends meet to share a drink but spend half of the time updating their statuses on social networks, replying messages, and surfing the internet. The friend without a smartphone becomes uneasy, and picking a conversation becomes difficult. Users are unable to do without a smartphone and carry it even to bathrooms. Majority of people has confessed to never switching off their devices. These situations clearly indicate that the society is suffering from smartphone addiction whereby the device constitutes most of people’s lives (McCafferty 1). Smartphone addiction is on the rise as one can reach for the device anytime and anywhere. Smartphone addiction is growing at an alarming rate posing a serious problem to individuals and society at large. Addicts of the device are risking important relationships and other things that need their unpaid attention. Society is becoming disconnected, and gradually, people will only be communicating by the use of these gadgets. The smart phone technology can be addictive as it is psychoactive, triggers enjoyable feelings, and alter moods of the user. Smartphones are affecting social etiquette and driving the society values to the drains (McCafferty 1). Signs and symptoms of smartphone addiction The first sign of smartphone addiction is the constant checking of the device by the user. The user frequently checks the device, not only for missed calls or text messages, but internet based applications such as social network updates, emails, and other notifications. Secondly, the user develops the checking habits. This gets characterized by the need to check and update applications especially on the social networks. The constant glancing at the smart phone screen makes the user an addict. The third symptom is that the user cannot go anywhere without the device, be it the bathroom, or a serious office meeting (Adler). The phone is always at hand, and the user will not stop glaring at it. The user develops an obsession with the device and will become nervous, restless, and feel empty without it. If the user gets separated from the device, he or she displays withdrawal symptoms. Smartphone addiction causes the user to get annoyed when people try to distract him or her from the gadget and prefer to be left alone. When disconnected, the addiction makes someone feel restless and depreciated (Adler 1). Dangers of smartphone addiction To the user of a smartphone, addiction can cause depression. If the user gets separated from the device, withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and insomnia accelerate the depression. These symptoms can cause increased cortisone in the brain and body causing stress which is cardio toxic. According to doctors, smartphone addiction like many other addictions is harmful to someone’s mental health and relationships. This endangers the general health and life of the user. It is extremely expensive to buy accessories and applications for the phone. This can lead to immoral behaviors in order to get money for buying latest applications and accessories. Students find themselves skiving classes or not paying attention so as to check on the updates and notifications on their devices. This translates to poor performance in school which can lead to depression. The relationship with parents and teachers gets affected as a result of monitoring the student. Smartphone addicts risk their lives especially when the user operates the device while driving or walking along busy roads and streets. The user can be involved in fatal accidents since the device can blur his or her mental reasoning. The users become disconnected from reality and social life since the smartphones offers them almost a complete life. A smartphone addict feels lost, incomplete, and naked without the gadget (Adler 1). How to overcome smartphone addiction The first step to overcoming smart phone addiction is the acceptance that the individual has an addiction to the device. Once the user recognizes the obsession, he or she needs to refocus the attention and set the mind to do something else. Such a user should refrain from checking the smart phone for as long as possible. He or she should also reassess the importance of any update made in the social network and disconnect the friends and applications that are unhelpful. The user should repeat these steps until he or she realizes that he can control the urge to check the phone all the time. He should also try to be conscious of the urge to check and refrain from instant checks, and above all, be disciplined in using the device. The smartphone is an excellent device that when used with limits, makes life more convenient and enjoyable (McCafferty 1). A smartphone user spends so much time on the device at the expense of other personal interests. The users are becoming less innovative as everything they wish to know is readily available in the smartphones. Teenagers are sacrificing their education at the expense of smartphone usage. Some pay little attention while in class, using the device while lessons are in session. Others will miss classes to socialize and watch movies, thanks to their smartphone devices. The teenagers display weak social skills, preferring to spend the majority of their time on the smartphones (Laird 1). The smartphone is taking a serious toll in the family setting whereby the members get busy with their devices, neglecting family time. Family interaction is healthy and spending quality family time is vital. With the invention of smartphone, this is becoming uncommon in almost all households. Friends are getting more and more disconnected from meeting for fun and enjoying time together. They get to chat on social networks, putting the friendship bonds at risk (Laird 1). The society has suffered since people no longer converse physically. This has led to the loss of the human touch of communication. With the introduction of smartphones, everyone is becoming independent, and the society has become introverted. As smartphones usage increases, business employees get forced to use the device to solve official issues even when out of office. This will make the employees who will not comply redundant. Businesses, on the other hand, will be making enormous profits at the expense of the employee’s family and social life and time. Marketing strategies used by companies to market smartphones Smartphone companies have embarked on aggressive marketing and promotion campaigns of their product. The use of media advertisement has been of significant impact to the market of smartphones. Competitive pricing has seen many people afford smartphones. Use of the internet as a way of marketing has also assisted the smartphone companies to do marketing. This is especially effective as many people have access to the internet. Loyal customers have helped in marketing of the devices through referrals. Introduction of giveaway samples in places such as shopping malls and banks have also seen smartphones reach a bigger market. The smartphone companies organize marketing campaign to reach prospective customers. The companies develop marketing programs that assist in reaching out to customers. The companies reward best customers and people who bring friends to buy smartphones. In conclusion, the positive impact of a smartphone outweighs the negative impact in the society. The device has revolutionized communication in a big way. The device allows the user to get significant updates like news and weather at their convenience. The device will allow the user to chat in real time giving him clarity and first hand information. Smartphones get categorized and identified distinctly because of their unique features and the ability to multitask. However, users should be careful not to get addicted to smartphones because of the detrimental effects that have been discussed in this paper. Works Cited Charles, Arthur. “The History of Smartphone: Timeline.” The Guardian 24 Jan 2012. Web. 7 May 2012. Dennis, McCafferty. “Smartphone Addiction: Nine Telltale Signs.” CIO Insight 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 7 May 2012. Donner, Jonathan and Steenson M. The Reconstruction of Space and Time: Mobile Communication Practices. Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2008. Print. McCarthy, Brad. “The History of the Smartphone.” Mobile: Part of the next web family 6 Dec. 2011. Web. 7 May 2012. Robert, C. From Bell to Smart phones (Computing and Connecting in the 21st Century). New York: Rosen Education Service, 2011. Print. Sam, Laird. Is Technology Saturation Good or Bad for the Modern Teenager? New York: Mashable, 2012. Print. Shawn, Hancon. “A Brief History of Smartphone.” Technorati 2 Sep. 2011. Web. 7 May 2012. Steve, Tobak. “10 Creative Uses for Smartphone.” CBS Money Watch 13 May 2011. Web. 7 May 2012. Warren, Adler. “The Smart Phone Addiction.” Huffpost Healthy Living 11 Feb. 2012. 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