Virtual Communities/Social Media - Essay Example

Virtual Communities/Social Media A mobile phone is an electronic telecommunication device that connects to wireless networks using radio waves or satellite technology. It is commonly referred to as a headphone, cell phone or cellular phone. It connects to a cellular network which is provided by a network service operator or a mobile phone operator. Besides its primary function as a communication device, it enables users to listen to the radio and send text messages. Furthermore, it can be used to take photos and record audio and video images.

In addition, users are able to store and record their favorite songs. It can be compared to the radio, letters, iPod and a camera. The device enables the user to listen to any channel of their choice by accessing the radio icon and selecting it from a drop down menu. Similarly, the radio allows users to listen to a channel of their choice. However, the difference is that a user can use a remote control on a radio while they cannot use it when using a radio. Both of them rely on radio waves to transmit radio signals.

As for the iPod, the similarity lies in the fact that they can both play and record audio and video files. The difference lies in the fact that a mobile phone allows users to share files with other users through social media networks. The camera captures moving images just as the mobile phone does. However, the camera does not allow the user to edit or share the pictures as the former does. Lastly, text messages can be compared to letters. Both allow the users to communicate through a written form.

However, text messages are transmitted electronically and are instant while letters are delivered physically. The letters reach the intended recipient after a while and require confirmation of receipt (Henkin 19). The proliferation of mobile phones, especially Smartphones, has shaped the history of mankind by influencing the social and cultural values of society. As Shapinstates, “The technologies we have today define who we are” (Shapin 1).The instant texting services have contributed to the growth of a society that focuses on instant gratification.

In addition, the ability to share content has led to the rise of a sharing economy. The rise of mobile phones as a medium of communication has been shaped by a number of individuals and societies. For example, most of the features in Smartphones today are as a result of the vision of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple. The increasing access to mobile phones is motivated by the desire to get as many people as possible to be part of the global community (Reagle, 17). Lastly, the features of mobile phones are developed to meet the needs of society.

Raymond Williams would agree with the second claim because he believed that technologies are social. As a result, he would agree with a claim that highlights the role of society in the development of new technology. Furthermore, he would argue that there was a social need for a device that enables people to communicate from anywhere. Moreover, Smartphones have grown because of their ability to serve social needs. Works CitedHenkin, David M. The Postal Age: The Emergence of Modern Communications in Nineteenth- Century America.

Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006. Internet resource.Reagle, Joseph M. Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2010. Print.Shapin, Steven. “What else is new” The New Yorker. 14 May 2007.Web. 6 June, 2014.