Smartphone and the Lives of Americans Today - Essay Example

Smartphone and the Lives of Americans Today In the ever-changing technology oriented world, Smartphone has evolved from an American luxury to a necessity. Traditionally, mobile phones were primarily used for communication. Smartphone has, however, defied the odds to encompass an array of functions in different fields of specialization. While there has always been the contention about the negative impacts of different technology trends, there are several significance of Smartphones. According to Sarwar and Soomro, the negative impacts need to be corrected since the benefits of the Smartphones are too huge to ignore (p. 216). Sarwar and Soomro identified the fields of business, education, healthcare, human psychology, and social life as some of the greatest beneficiaries of the Smartphone ‘craze”. However, the workplace, homes, schools, and healthcare providers are the chief users of mobile phones. This study takes a closer look at the phenomenon impact that Smartphones have had on the workplace, healthcare, socialization and entertainment. I. Health Care Healthcare has greatly benefited from the introduction of Smartphones. Through the use of Smartphones, the face of healthcare has immensely changed not only in the actual provision but the participation as well (Sarasohn-Kahn 8). Information access has been the main hallmark of the internet. According to Sarwar and Soomro (220), 275 of Smartphone owners use it for online information search with 10 million of the Smartphone users in the U.S using the device to seek health facilities and information. The health information sought by the Smartphone users includes healthcare facilities, symptoms of diseases, and prescriptions. This proves that the Smartphones have significantly contributed to emancipation of the American public of different aspects of their health. Smartphones have, therefore, helped work towards a healthier nation. With the ObamaCare going online, the Smartphone users who seek health services using their devices is yet to grow. According to Sarasohn-Kahn (7), in February 2010, the Apple Store had about 4000 applications that were intended for patient users. Application provider, Gartner, said that health applications were within the top ten applications in 2012. This trend is a testimony of the increasing acceptance of the Smartphones as an integral healthcare platform. The main health and medical application categories that have benefited from the Smartphone experience include; alerts and awareness, medical reference, diagnostics, health education, and patient record keeping (Sarasohn-Kahn 9-10). The other, more complex, part of healthcare that has benefited from Smartphones is management of chronic health conditions and prescriptions. There are numerous applications that have been created for the Smartphone operating systems to help healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients monitor critical health conditions. Tran, Tran and White (173), Smartphones applications can be used to efficiently manage diabetes through refining glycemic control. This will ultimately prevent or delay any further complications that result from diabetes. There are numerous applications that help in accessing other wellness aspects such as medication adherence, carbohydrate and sugar count, and exercise (Tran, Tran & White, 173). The eCAALYX Mobile Application is an example of the impeccable work that the smartphone applications can do to enhance better healthcare. This application is basically used to monitor the chronic health conditions in old people. These remote monitoring systems enable the HCPs monitor and evaluate the vulnerability of the patients to certain conditions. The historical medical details and the recent sensor data delivered to the HCP can be corroborated to assess the chances of disease and anomaly occurrence remotely. II. Workplace The business world has seen a revolution through the use of smartphones not only in the phone vendors but the users. The work environment has been made more palatable through the increased acceptance of smartphones. Most companies have integrated the smartphones as integral tools for assessment, information gathering, communication and training, and transacting with clients (Pitichat, 5). The most important part of all the functions of the smartphones to organization is the competitive advantage they gain from the approach (Sarwar and Soomro, 218). Pitichat identifies three important ways that the smartphones have helped create value in the American workplace; better relationships, increased autonomy, and improved knowledge sharing (1). While these three factors are isolated in functionality, they ultimately lead to increased job satisfaction among the staff and competitive advantage to the entire organization. Organizations are, therefore, challenged to find ways to effectively integrate smartphones into the core of the organization’s workplace strategy. This is because they are the main beneficiaries of all the output of smartphone within the organization. Networking has been described as the business jewel of the 21st Century. Any business that has failed to integrate this aspect and make it part of their culture are doomed to fail sooner than later. Buoyed by the persistent growth in the use of broadband and internet services, smartphones have found their footing in the workplace. Numerous applications will allow the workers of an organization to meet and exchange ideas at any point in time. This implies that they are not restricted to the normal office hours to contribute to the organization. The smartphone applications also allow the users to engage with other people outside the organization. This helps increase their knowledge wealth and improve their creativity. The other important aspect of networking is the ability to meet clients (Pitichat 2). Through the networking capabilities of a smartphone, an employee can meet a potential client, pitch as sale before finally closing and servicing the sale. Networking through smartphones thus performs two functions of knowledge sharing and relationship building. Most organizations are moving away from the use of emails to other internal communication tools such as internal social networks, Wikis, internal instant messaging services, and bogging platforms. The main objective of internal communication tools within the organization is to establish a method of instantly reach employees without hustle in a secure platform. According to Pitichat, the smartphone provides the best platform for using these communication tools since the staff always carry them as they move around and outside the organization (3). The autonomy in the modern American workplace has significantly increased due to the use of smartphones. The consequence of this change has been increased job satisfaction thus better productivity among the staff (Pitichat 3). Companies in the U.S. have come up with the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. This allows for the employees to carry their own devices such as laptops and smartphones to the workplace and use them to perform their tasks. Other than the fact that the company gets to save on its expenditure, the employees get to benefit from an autonomous work environment. The BYOD policy used by Ford Motors Co. is called the Individual-Liable Device (ILD) program. The employees have been able maintain an autonomous work environment where they use their smartphones according to their preferences. The use of smartphones in the workplace is seen as a complementary action seeking to ensure that the devices that have been integrated to the employee’s lives is not cut from their work life. Companies like Ford see it as counterproductive to deny the employees a chance to use the smartphones in the workplace. Companies such as Wells Fargo have gone a notch higher to give the employees the opportunity to choose their favorite smartphones that they purchase for them. In summary, the use of smartphones in the workplace ensures autonomy, enhances knowledge sharing, and builds relationship. These three factors lead to job satisfaction and increased engagement to work thus work efficiency (Pitichat 6). Different companies in the U.S are using this technology to enhance autonomy in the workplace while realizing immense results. The smartphones have also helped the companies to build better relationships between then employees and their peers as well as with the senior management. III. Socialization and Entertainment The number of people with disabilities and the elderly are constantly increasing with the increase in the American population. It is projected that 15% of the population has disabilities and over 1000 million people will be elderly by the year 2020 (Sarwar and Soomro 222). The figures and projections imply that there will be increased need for socialization tools for these less mobile members of the society. The numerous communication platforms available on the smartphones ensure that these groups remain integrated within the society (Sarwar and Soomro, 223). The video and image sharing capabilities of the smartphone applications are also the other aspect that makes them ideal social and entertainment avenues. One is not only able to communicate through voice but also establish the location of the one they are communicating with. This is especially important for the parents who want to establish the whereabouts of their children. The increased access to internet has brought increased use of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. These social sites are not only absorbing and entertaining but useful (Sarwar and Soomro 223). The socialization and the entertainment of Americans have benefited from the increased use of smartphones. The ability of phones to get Wi-Fi and the increased ability to get 4g network capabilities has enabled people to access the internet Sarwar and Soomro (223). There are other online entertainment avenues such as the Apple Store and online gaming. Entertainment has also benefited through the increased ease in accessing facilities such as concerts and ticketing. Conclusion Healthcare has benefited from Smartphones in the areas of participation, prescription, heath information access, and diagnosis. These are key areas within this field which contribute to the wellness of all Americans. The workplace has also been a beneficiary of this technology through the improved workplace relationships, increased autonomy and access, and enhanced supervision. The other area that has reaped from the Smartphone phenomenon is the socialization and entertainment. With easier connection to the internet through Wi-Fi, the Smartphones have enabled more people to access social networks, music stores, and ticketing facilities. Most of the attributes of the Smartphones that have made them desirable can be attributed to the applications available for this platform. The critics of Smartphones and their impact on society will point out workplace inefficiency, reduced social interaction, and distribution of unethical content as some of the negatives of Smartphones. While these concerns are true, they are not valid enough for the benefits of smartphones in the American society to be ignored. Medicare, education, socialization, and the workplace have immensely benefited from this impressive technology. The versatility of these devices has made them a must get for each American deliberating on improving their welfare in one way or the other (Sarwar and Soomro, 224). Unlike most devices that are meant for a particular purpose, the Smartphones can perform an array of functions thus making them acceptable across all generations and professions. Works Cited Pitichat, Thiraput. Smartphones in the workplace: Changing organizational behavior, transforming the future. LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research fromClaremont Graduate University,3.1 (2013): 1-10. Print. Sarasohn-Kahn, Jane. How Smartphones are Changing Healthcare for Consumers and Providers. California Healthcare Foundation, California. (2010): 1-23. Print. Sarwar, Muhammad. & Soomro, Tariq Rahim. Impact of Smartphone’s on Society. European Journal of Scientific Research, 98.2 (2013): 216-226. ISSN 1450-216X / 1450-202X Tran Joseph, Tran Rosanna, &White, John Jr. Smartphone-based glucose monitorsand applications in the management of diabetes: an overviewof 10 salient “apps” and a novel smartphone-connectedblood glucose monitor. Clinical Diabetes. 2012; 30(4):173-178. Print. Read More