At What Stage Can It Be Said that the Mobile Phone Became Part of Everyday Life - Essay Example

At what stage can it be said that the mobile phone became part of everyday life? In an era where human progress is soaring at a dizzying rate, society must adapt its technology to solve current world issues. In a world where the Internet, cell phones and notebook computers are becoming a necessity for everyday living, we often forget about those who still suffer attempting to meet their basic needs, including clean water, food and health care. It is time for the developed world to use their technology to help those who can not help themselves. Science and Technology are making advances at an amazing rate. From telephones to the Internet, calculators to computers, cars to rockets and satellites, we are submerged in a sea of discoveries and inventions made possible by Science. Fields like Medicine and communications have made inroads into our cultures and thus our lifestyles. So vast is the impact of Science in our lives, that people fear the unthinkable. It leads them to accusations such as Science tries to play God. [Clark, 2000] Mobile phones have revolutionized the way man lives in this modern world today. It has changed his living patterns whereby routines have been amended so as to get the best possible communication through their usage as well as doing business online as become an easy proposition nonetheless. Mobile phones have changed the face of the world for more reasons than any other thing could have possibly done – probably lying in the same stead as that of high speed computers. [Goh, 2006] The manner in which the mobile phones are being made use of in the current times suggests that it would not be long when they will become pretty much a part of a person’s body part, since these devices are a form of communicating and is no different than a mouth on a face, hence it makes all the more reason to suggest that it would be tied on to a body part so that communication becomes even more easier. Who knows the babies of tomorrow are born with this device within their bodies? Possibilities are endless so to speak. The role of mobile phones has affected the society in more ways than one – there is more communication going on between people than was ever before witnessed. But the downside is that people like to hear and listen to each other more than they would like to meet them, which unfortunately mobile phones have failed to ensure. Having said that mobile phones do not in any way guarantee that people would be able to meet and feel or touch each other. It is just a single sense that it is fulfilling to the maximum possible levels and this is of hearing – the sense of hearing or in more up-market terms, listening each other. The difference between hearing and listening lies in the fact that almost everyone hears – no matter good or bad, what he wants to and what he does not like to, but listening is different, since he has to filter the good and the bad, the wants and the not-so-wanted stuff. [Kinshuk, 2005] Thus there is a huge difference if seen in the proper context of things. The role of mobile phones on the society is something that must be understood in a manner which is more open and direct, since this involves a lot of comprehension and open-mindedness. What this means is that mobile phones are just a solitary form of communicating with each other but the manner in which these devices are used raises questions left, right and center. These questions are in the form of queries regarding the ethical usage of mobile phones within hospitals, areas of high security, examination centers, public discussion forums and seminars to state a few. These are the places where mobile phones are always avoided and the same should be the case since it is a disrupting force at the end of the day. But people do not seem to understand and they continue with its usage and thus hinder the smooth flowing of operations and what it does is to mar the very basis of the mobile phones in the first place. Rather than putting the offender at charge, the people make tall claims about the growing unethical and immoral usage of these devices. What they forget is that these mobile phones are used by them alone and these devices cannot exist or function if the human element is taken away. They must understand the very basics if they want to underline or pinpoint the fact of the matter. Innovations in technology and more particularly the mobile phones can allow for more efficient use of limited or scarce resources. More products might be made from the same amount of raw material using new techniques. Technology can increase productivity to help countries compete with other countries in selling goods and services. Some say that without technological improvements, the economy would grow slowly or not at all. Society could remain the same for years, some what like the early middle ages in Europe, in which there was little economic change for hundreds of years. Ways to manufacture goods have changed continuously through history. [Tansey, 2002] Today, several important new advances in technology are transforming. These technologies create new products; most of them also change the way people in society interact. These technologies have a tremendous impact on our monetary resources. The domestic use of Internet is spreading at a fast pace. E-mail is the most famous of the net services that is being used by people all over the world. Other than this, chat programs and voice is also being used all over the world and is quite famous. All these services are being made best use of by the mobile phones where similar advancements in the field of science have been embedded into mobile phones, thus accounting for merging of different technologies on a single platform and in this case with that of mobile phones which literally have everything within them at their disposal. The Internet is very helpful from the technical as well as specification information viewpoint; about the different machines and their tools that are a part of the business industry throughout the world. The use of Internet in mobile phones is a two-way communication platform between the buyer and the seller and it is up to either one of them to harness its potentials as much as he/she possibly can. It can also be used on the buyer’s part to “offset” a salesman’s characteristics and benefits with prior knowledge of the product. This very valuable knowledge attained can be used to undervalue other’s products and services. Mobile phones are very dangerous for the children at times. They can be much more disadvantageous than being gainful. The amount of mobile phone crimes and robbery is really harmful for young minds. Certain measures have been brought about by different mobile phone companies, which can restrict the child from accessing the content and they must not be able to access numbers which are locked or made unauthorized by their parents and/or guardians. [Marsden, 2000] In this way, the parents can monitor their kids when they are using the mobile phones and keep a close check on their activities. The usage of mobile phones must be termed as beneficial for the young ones since they seem to enjoy the downsides associated with their usage. They must be told of the ethical ways and the right manner of communicating with their family members and friends and they must not enter into a relationship or communication with any individual that they do not know. What this means is that parents have got a bigger duty in the whole related scheme of things and they must understand that they need to educate before they give their young ones a mobile phone in their hands. Mobile phones have brought in a lot of fantasies for the human beings. With it, man has started to communicate openly and with that, efforts in the right direction are being made to actually make the dreams see the light of the day. This has happened in the 1990s era and to date it is continuing with full effect. The future looks bright too since a lot of development has already been made in this path. With the changing times, human progress has also been significant and one can now see the role of mobile phone devices in our day to day lives. They have become the necessity of our lives now. Human needs have given shape to communication and thus this has enacted the role of technology to greater strengths. [May, 2002] With this has come a realization that much more can still be achieved through research in the field of communication sciences and cellular phenomenon. From telephones to the Internet, multi-language calculators to computers, cars to rockets and satellites, man is submerged in a sea of discoveries and inventions made possible by science. It would not be wrong to state that mobile phones have literally become a part and parcel of everyone’s life in the current times. Almost everyone seems to possess one and this is testimony enough that people need it more than mere showing off, which used to be the case in the past. Now it is an essential and the people who do not own a mobile phone are considered dumb and weak. This is a harsh reality but there are certain individuals still who do not buy the theory of having a device which could catch their attention any and everywhere whenever they are out, sleeping or doing their normal, day to day chores. They do not want to get disturbed and communicating with their loved ones is not a priority for them either, which forbids them to buy a mobile phone and thus become a prey to the cellular signals revolving all round them. But then there are individuals within this very society that just cannot move without a mobile phone at all. [Maddox, 2005] They seem to eat, drink and sleep through communicating devices and what best communicating device there is apart from the mobile phone – sticking to their body 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is indeed man’s best friend but then if seen from the other perspective; this is also his enemy since it can turn against him at times and more so when a crime is committed of his own phone – after it was stolen. All said and done, the good and the bad points need to be measured and then only a final result could be envisaged. BIBLIOGRAPHY CLARK, Neil. (2000). Plenty of Mobile Phones, but Wheres the Good Life. New Statesman, Vol. 129 GOH, Tiong. (2006). Getting Ready for Mobile Learning-Adaptation Perspective. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, Vol. 15 KINSHUK, Jueming. (2005). Mobile Technology in Educational Services. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, Vol. 14 MADDOX, Brenda. (2005). Mobile Phones: Not So Far from Heaven. New Statesman, Vol. 134 MARSDEN, Christopher T. (2000). Regulating the Global Information Society. Routledge MAY, Christopher. (2002). Key Thinkers for the Information Society. Routledge TANSEY, Stephen D. (2002). Business, Information Technology and Society. Routledge Word Count: 1,780 Read More