How Cell Phones Changed Our Life - Assignment Example

Tian Tian Robb Tillett Writing Seminar May 15th Research paper Cell phones are a creation of the modern world which quickly gained popularity amongthe public. Cell phones can be used in practically every field of life and have various advantages. But these advantages are also coupled with certain negative influences which are often neglected but are of high importance from a sociological point of view. These negative influences seem to exist in every walk of life; it causes health issues, creates a social barrier between your family and friends and ultimately leaves you feeling alone and it also causes increases in road traffic incidents. In the year 1973, the world went through a revolution with a piece of technology that no one could have imagined; this was known as the cell phone. Martin Cooper, a Motorola manager was the first to use these cell phones and make a call to Dr. Joel S. Engel. It is now that the cell phones have become the most common piece of technology that almost everyone owns. 327 million mobiles phones were being used in the United States alone, up until the year 2010. This meant that the number of cell phones exceeded the living population of the United States at that time which was approximately about 312 million (Falk, 107). However, the increased use of these cell phones also has its own repercussions in the life of an individual. This especially affected the pace of life, every function being performed at a faster speed and with convenience, this also affected the social life of people, this phenomenon was especially seen in young adults and the conventional meeting of people with each other physically reduced to a great extent. The technology reshaped these meetings and people could talk to each other anytime, anywhere at the ease of a device which is present in the palm of their hands. The basic concept behind the invention of the cell phones was to ensure safety and security to the customers but in today’s era cell phones are known for causing more harm than good. Mobile phones have redefined human needs and have become an important part of our daily routines; these devices have become so vital to the daily lives, that a life without these gadgets is unimaginable. Cell phones are the first thing people see in the morning and the last thing that they look at before going to bed. The cell phones have gained so much significance that if a person does not own a cell phone; he is considered an alien on this planet. But extensive use of the cell phone often limits the user in the virtual world and people become less aware regarding the happenings of the real world. They tend to ignore even their loved ones, friends and relatives when they are using their cell phones. This phenomenon is termed by the sociologist; Erving Goffman as civil inattention (Giddens, 129). The increased usage of mobiles phones also affects the travelling behavior of people because many people update about their tours and travels on various social networking websites and hence results in other people saving up their trip. Cell phones have also started to serve as a multipurpose accessory, people use it to listen to the music, and set alarms, check the calendar, and all the basic functions are available on all the cell phones. But a major drawback that results from the use of cell phones is the increase in the occurrence of road accidents since people pay more attention to the phone rather than on the road (Falk, 108). Ibrahim (2007) conducted a comparative analysis to find out the contributions of cell phones within society and the positive influences of mobile phones in the society. The research was divided into three stages; the contribution of cell phones towards personal and primary relations, the contribution of cell phones towards the society and the contribution of cell phones towards the economics of a country. Various countries were selected and the penetrations of mobiles phones in their societies have also been analyzed and compared. Mobile phones ease the communication between two people. Mobiles phones are not limited with cords or phone lines and hence can be used as a method of communication anywhere and everywhere. The mobile phones also provide significant information about the owners personal life such as their daily schedule, their daily reminders etc. The mobile phones are not only known for making the life of the customers easy but it also helps to create a reputation among friends, family and relatives (Ibrahim, 27).The functions of cell phones within a society can be categorized o the basis of 6C’s: Connection, convenience, charisma, companionship, care and culture (Ibrahim, 28). Referring to the term of connection, mobiles phones offer a sense of freedom to its customers. The mobiles phones kept on enhancing their services and various accessories to the prototype model such as the capacity to watch sports channel, Internet enabling, sending of documents through email, receiving daily email, newsletters. But this system is not cost effective and is considered expensive by many, but the convenience often overpowers the cost and hence people easily get their hands on the latest model of the mobile phone. The information regarding various events and services is easily accessible by the general public. Another advantage of mobiles phones is that it is not restricted to certain areas and boundaries. The research also quotes certain teenagers who comment that they never stay away from their mobiles phones and they feel good about being 24/7 connected with family and friends. People of Korea give their utmost importance on establishing networks and connections among customers. The most widely used feature of a mobile phone is the SMS or text messaging services. Societies in India have utilized this service to its maximum extent (Ibrahim, 42). But the use of mobile phones anywhere and everywhere also has its own drawbacks. Beede, Kristen and Kass conducted in order to evaluate the distraction caused by mobile phones during driving. For this purpose, the researcher selected 36 college students and subjected them to simulated driving and their driving was assessed with regard to four behaviors i.e., violation of traffic, maintenance of driving, lapses in attention during driving and the time to produce response. The research concluded that all four of these categories were adversely affected when the drivers were using their cell phones. This eventually pointed towards the fact that cell phones are actually dangerous and should be avoided at all costs during driving (Beede, Kristen, Kass). Another study which was conducted by Professor David L. Strayer concluded that the use of cell phones during driving has the same effect as being driven by a drunk driver. Using cell phones while driving is also one of the main causes of road accidents; the US department of Transportation tells that over half a million people are hurt and more than six thousand die as a result of this distraction during driving. The main reason behind using the cell phone while driving is mostly to reply to a text (Falk ,109). Convenience and connection are the two things that are mostly found simultaneously. An example of the convenience includes the countries whereby the customers are allowed to pay the bus fares or train fares over mobile phones. Mobile banking is also categorized in the same section of convenience; the mobile phones also provide access to e-libraries which provide a database of thousands and hundreds of novels for the teenagers and students to read. The mobile phones have also replaced the daily utilities such as the calculator and alarm clock. People can easily plan meetings and get together making the process more efficient and can be easily conducted on the tip of the fingers (Ibrahim, 31). The mobile phones have become so common that they have are now considered as a fashion statement by many and hence this adds a little charisma to the entire function of the mobile phone, everything on the mobile phone such as its customization to the placement of the color explains the personality of the user. This is particularly accurate for the country of Lithuania whereby people consider cell phones as the articulation of the user’s personality (Ibrahim, 33), Mobile phones have also instilled a sense of freedom among the teenage group since they can now roam around easily without any time restrictions because their parents can easily know about their whereabouts. In other words, it could be said that the mobiles phones have become an addicting piece of technology without which a person’s day is incomplete (Ibrahim, 34). Mobile phones also serve as our companions and can be considered as our friends in order to pass our leisure time more easily. People can watch movies and play games, download the latest music and known about the recent fashion trends all with the help of our virtual friends; the mobile phone. The mobile phone industry has also helped in provision of care to our family; parents can easily track down their children, and people can report any mishap or incident to the concerned authorities. The mobiles phones also provide a sense of protection to women who work late nights in unsafe environment or society. Arti Manglik, who works as a sales executive told that she once used her cell phone to get rid of a person who she thought was following her (Ibrahim, 38). Mobile phones have also become part of our culture , people send text messages and wish their family members well on special occasions (Ibrahim, 40). These cell phones have also played their part in creating an informed society that is aware of the daily happening that occur in the surrounding (Ibrahim, 41). A connected society where each and everyone is connected through various sites and text messages and distance no longer means a thing thanks to these gadgets (Ibrahim, 43). The economic advantage of mobile phones is referred to as mobile welfare and is categorized into four sections; development of infrastructure, improved practices in business and better public sector performance and a collective welfare of each person (Ibrahim, 50).Each of the countries considered for this research have different influence of cell phones. If considered from health point of view, cell phones also have significant effects on the provision of health care to an individual. Research conducted by Krishna, Boren and Balas (2009) focused on these improvements of health care system that occurred by the utilization cell phones. The cell phones help in achieving a better outcome of a chronic disease, since the patient is continuously reminded of his appointments and various ways by which he can improve his health. This can be achieved using sms or video messages. The research showed that the frequency of sending messages to a diabetic patient was 5 times daily. Apart from this, the patient also became compliant towards his drug regimen as he was constantly reminded about which medicines he had to take, this eventually resulted in an efficacious drug regimen. However, there are certain risks that the use of mobile phone has on the health of a human being. The use of cell phones has often been associated with brain cancer and there have been certain instances when both of these have had a link between them. In order to rectify this problem, the mobile phone networks ran some test in order to find out the truth behind the lawsuit. The report concluded that the emitted radio frequency (RF) often exceeds the maximum level of RF allowed by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). In response to this, the American Cancer Society also conducted their own research. The research concluded that the type of radiation emitted from the cell phones does not damage the DNA and does not have the capacity to cause brain cancer; hence a statement was released by the FDA and FCC which concluded that the use of cell phones was not linked with any type of health disorder. However the speculations still remain the same and certain people do consider the use of cell phones as a risk to the health of a human being (Umar, 8-49). It could be said that the use of mobiles phones have become common to the extent that a life without these devices cannot be imagined. They have eased our life so much that every function can be performed through these smart gadgets. It is particularly popular among the teenage population of the world and this is the reason why the major negative effects of cell phones are inflicted upon this population such as driving accidents, lack of social mingling etc. These negatives of a cell phone are far worse than the good effects it has. The use of cell phone has various health effects such as the brain cancer which is a fatal condition, it makes the user socially deprived, and those who use cell phones especially the teenagers are not active and often find it difficult to interact in the real world. The cell phone was invented by keeping a positive outcome in mind, but now it seems that this invention has caused more trouble than good. Bibliography Falk, Gerhard. Twelve Inventions Which Changed America. Lanham, MD: Hamilton Books, 2013. Print. Giddens, Anthony. Sociology. Cambridge [England]: Polity Press, 1993. Print. Kushchu, Ibrahim. Positive Contributions of Mobile Phones To Society. Mobile Government Consortium International (2007): n. pag. Print. Krishna, Santosh, Suzanne Austin Boren, and E. Andrew Balas. Healthcare Via Cell Phones: A Systematic Review. Telemedicine and e-Health 15.3 (2009): 231-240. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. Umar, Amjad. Mobile Computing and Wireless Communications. nge solutions, inc, 2004. Print. Beede, Kristen E., and Steven J. Kass. Engrossed In Conversation: The Impact Of Cell Phones On Simulated Driving Performance. Accident Analysis & Prevention 38.2 (2006): 415-421. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. Read More