Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Mobile Phones - Essay Example

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Mobile Phones From a Social Point of View The vast majority of people in the UK are using mobile phones. This trend has been disputed for almost two decades and researchers are still unsure whether the use of mobiles is beneficial or harmful. All of them agree that there are both advantages and downsides in using mobile phones from a social point of view. It is possible to consider two major terrains where the impact of mobile phones is extensive. These terrains are societal and individual. In other words, the use of mobile phones influences each individual as well as the entire society. As far as the society is concerned, it is possible to trace effects of the use of mobile phones on development of societies. Nurullah (2009) argues that the cell phone should be regarded as an agent of social change as it has transformed norms of the teenage life. The device has contributed to development of various subcultures and it has been often seen as the central tool of communication and formation of social ties. When it comes to communication, another world appeared and people have become able to choose the most appropriate option for them. It is also important to note that the mobile phone enables people to communicate and keep in touch irrespective of their geographical location. More so, Dong et al. (2009) state that mobile social networks are extensively utilised and the digital world is not confined to computers or laptops in the modern world. Lacohee, Wakeford and Pearson (2003) trace the history of mobile telephony and stress that people have always strived for freedom and the new technology became a revolution that gave impetus for development of societies. Globalisation led to mobility of people and development of the mobile telephony made this process easier. It is noteworthy that the use of the mobile phone has had a considerable impact on development of the global economy or rather economic growth. It has been estimated that 3G technology development increases GDP growth by 0.15 percentage (What is the impact of mobile telephony 2012). Clearly, the cell phone is a product of the well-established industry with thousands of factories that give millions of jobs worldwide. Clearly, economic growth leads to development of the society and people’s needs as well behaviours change. As has been mentioned above, the technology penetrates into different spheres. Islam, Islam and Mazumder (2010) provide an account of the use of various applications in business, research and education. Of course, it is also used in healthcare and more applications have been appearing to address numerous needs of different groups of people. Thus, researchers also make use of the mobile phone. For instance, Fontes and O’Mahony (2008) note that instant messaging can help obtain qualitative data and, hence, can be employed as an effective tool of qualitative research. Therefore, it is possible to state the mobile phone is an important tool of social change. As for the impact of the cell phone on individuals, it is mainly manifested in the sphere of interpersonal communication and self-presentation. Mancini et al. (2009) note that many people see their mobile phones as their private space where they can reveal their personality. This is also their privacy space and, even among people, individuals can feel a part of their own space with their own social links. Humphreys (2005) notes that cell phones have transformed many codes of social interaction and this device has led to creation of two major interaction patterns. Thus, face-to-face interactions presuppose certain set of behavioural patterns while mobile communication can be slightly different. Importantly, many researchers as well as mobile technology users note that mobile technology leads to certain freedom of expression. Thus, Rettie (2007) explores the difference between the so-called texters and talkers and stresses that younger people prefer texting each other and, in many cases, this can be seen as a particular way of creating their own social space. Reid and Reid (2004) also examine the concepts of texters and talkers but the researchers focus on psychological aspect. It has been found that texters tend to be more socially anxious and they try to create their own digital environment with interactions codes that are clear and acceptable for them. Whereas, talkers seem to use the device as a substitution of face-to-face interaction when it is necessary due to certain reasons (being in different places). Thus, it is possible to assume that mobile phones provide an option to remain socially active or, at least, participate in certain social interactions for people who have difficulties with face-to-face communication. Therefore, it is possible to note that people benefit from the use of mobile phones as the device has contributed to development of many spheres of people’s lives. At the same time, it is important to remember about certain shortcomings of the use of mobile phones. One of major issues associated with the device is people’s growing reliance on their mobile phones. It has been universally acknowledged that the vast majority of people (who have cell phones) cannot imagine their life without their devices. More so, since cell phones are also certain index of status, young people try to own one and, hence, they fill their lives with digital communication. This can have certain negative effects, as people should learn how to develop necessary social skills instead of trying to replace them with something easier. Thus, young people who would not have difficulties with face-to-face interactions could become less social due to lack of the necessary communication skills as they simply fail to acquire them due to reliance on their devices. Finally, mobile phones are seen as items of the world of fashion and they contribute to development of the society of consumer. The recent buying craze for the new model of iPhone is a bright example of this. Each year people buy (and throw away) millions of cell phones and this leads to increase of the waste (as millions of devices end up in landfill). Therefore, it is clear that the use of the mobile phone has disadvantages alongside with numerous benefits. People should remember that and try to find the necessary balance between options the mobile technology offers and negative effects it may have. Reference List Dong, ZB, Song, GJ, Xie, KQ, Wang, JY 2009, An experimental study of large-scale mobile social network, WWW 2009, pp. 1175-1176. Fontes, TO & O’Mahony, M 2008, In-depth interviewing by instant messaging, Social Research Update, vol. 53, no. 1, pp. 1-4. Humphreys, L 2005, Cellphones in public: social interactions in a wireless era, New Media & Society, vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 810-833. Islam, MR, Islam, MR & Mazumder, TA 2010, Mobile application and its global impact, International Journal of Engineering & Technology, vol. 10, no. 6, pp. 72-78. Lacohee, H, Wakeford, N & Pearson, I 2003, A social history of the mobile telephone with a view of its future, BC Technology Journal, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 203-211. Mancini, C, Thomas, K, Rogers, I, Price, BA, Jedrzejczyk, L, Bandara, AK, Joinson, AN, Nuseibeh, B 2009, From spaces to places: emerging contexts in mobile privacy, viewed 09 November 2014, . Nurullah, AS 2009, The cell phone as an agent of social change, Rocky Mountain Communication Review, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 19-25. Reid, D & Reid, F 2004, Insights into the social and psychological effects of sms text messaging, The Social and Psychological Effects of Text, viewed 09 November 2014, http://courses.educ.ubc.ca/etec540/May08/suz/assests/SocialEffectsOfTextMessaging.pdf>. Rettie, R 2007, Texters not talkers: phone call aversion among mobile phone users, PsychNology, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 33-57. What is the impact of mobile telephony on economic growth? 2012, viewed 09 November 2014, . Read More