In recent years, mobile phones have swiftly become a fundamental necessity in American society as well as around the globe. Since its humble beginnings as an unreliable and bulky device, the cell phone has become an everyday item that is economical and portable. The cell phone began its journey in 1947 when researchers recognized that the range of service areas could be used to increase the traffic capacity of the basic mobile phone by a sufficient number, but it was not until 1973 that Dr. Martin Cooper, former general manger at Motorola, made the first call on a cellular phone. Cooper is considered the inventor of the first contemporary cellphone. As one of the defining technologies of our time, the mobile phone has advanced society in terms of sociability, education, and medicine. Since its inception, mobile phones have revolutionized society by creating an informative, connected, and participative culture for teenagers and young adults, ranging from ages 13 to 35. This device has been known to maintain and build social relationships as well as enhancing communication and increasing productivity. Kumasi Polytechnic randomly surveyed 250 respondents, and 98.7% of the participants indicated that this device enhanced communication, efficiency, and provided users with fast access to information. A popular form of preserving social interactions is using text messaging as a way to stay connected no matter the distance. In Richard Ling’s The Mobile Connection: The Cell Phone's Impact on Society, he explains how this technological phenomenon has brought the world closer especially “in the United States, [where] people are using up their nationwide-whenever-whatever-anytime minutes to keep in touch across time zones. Teens, who a... ... middle of paper ... ...radiation. Cell phones cannot cause cancer because they do not emit a sufficient amount of energy to break the molecular bonds inside cells. Considerable research from institutes, including the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Australian Centre for Radiofrequency Bioeffects Research, have also found no clear association between any other electronic consumer products and cancer. One of the most technologically universal advancements over the past decade has been the mobile phone. Mobile phones have provided avenues for individuals to stay connected on a new level that does not depend on space or time, but is easily accessible whenever and wherever. Mobile phones have allowed social relationships to be strengthened as well as new relationships to be formed, it has a become a part of the learning curriculum, and it has modernized the medical field.
In the article entitled, “Our Cell Phones Ourselves”, Christine Rosen describes how cell phones have changed the way we communicate. Rosen tells the readers the main purpose for cell phone use in the past, versus present day. Her purpose is to make society aware of how cell phones have influenced our lives in order to inspire change as to how we view our cell phones. Rosen directs her writing to everyone in the present day by describing the negative results of cell phone use and how it impacts our lives and those around us. Without a doubt, cell phones are going to be a part of our world, but it is the responsibility of every cell phone owner to exercise self control and understand that a cell phone is nothing more than a device.
In the article “Our Cell Phones, Ourselves”by Christine Rosen published by W. W. Norton in 2004, she explains about how technology came about and is now taking over today’s world. Just by walking down the street today, it is visible that in everybody’s hands there is a
In our world there are many forms of communication and these devices are beginning to take a toll on our younger generations. In Jeffery Kluger’s article,” We Never Talk Anymore: The Problem with Text Messaging,” the idea that younger generations are becoming socially inept due to technology is discussed. As these younger generations consume texting as a main form of communication other important social skills deteriate.
The fastest growing form of communication in America’s society is texting. David Mercer brings up a valid argument about how the appearance of texting was not a slow process, parents never had an opportunity to experience texting so they have no way of teaching their children how to use it responsibly (Carter). Texting is so common it carries over into our everyday lives easily and at times becomes controlling. America’s society thrives on the conveniences texting provides us. While texting is fast and convenient it has numerous faults that affect our society mentally and socially. Texting can be beneficial as it simplifies our lives at times; however, there are numerous negative effects texting has on our society.
Cell phones have made a big impact on the world, for example, people are using them daily, and they have influenced science, politics, and many more fields.
Cell phone technology has been around for over twenty years. It has only been the last ten years where it has integrated completely into our lives and changed how we communicate with each other. Entire social rules of interaction were completely changed. Now you could be reached at anytime. It seemed like having a cell phone guaranteed some level of privacy from others around you. But what about your own privacy? With the technology revolution that has been taking place there seems to be no focus on personal relationships. The entire English language has been chopped up and shortened into meaningless letters and phrases It has caused loss of human interaction and expression in our modern daily lifestyles.
The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications • Vol. 5, No. 1 • Spring 2014 Students’ Cell Phone Addiction and Their Opinions by Tessa Jones, Ms. Jones states,” It is hard for members of Generation Y, who were born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, to imagine a time when instant and constant communication was not a main focus for them socially. A generation ago, people left their homes without any form of electronic device; made plans in person; wrote personal, hand-written letters; and knocked on neighbors’ doors to see if they were home. These things, of course, still happen. But today “more than 90 percent of American adults have a cell phone of some kind, and for people under the age of 44, that number is closer to 97
In the essay “Our Cell Phones, Our Selves” written by Christine Rosen, the author presents a brief history on how cell phones were introduced into society and how this artifact changed people’s interactions in the physical space. Rosen describes the first cell phone that appeared in 1983 as “hardly elegant,” big and expensive (458). Cell phones at that time were mainly used by important and affluent people. However, seven years later, cell phones became smaller and affordable provoking a big change in society. This big technological advance did not only affect the United States, but the entire world.
In 1973, Motorola released a revolutionary product that forever changed communication and the social culture around the world. This heavy and awkward looking device allowed wireless communication and contributed to the decline of sending letters in the mail or walking to someone’s house to talk (Alfred). We now call this device a cell phone. Since the first cell phone was released in 1973, technological advancements have improved the cell phone’s portability, weight, and compatibility, resulting in roughly 90% of all Americans owning a cell phone (Pew Research). These advancements also helped develop texting, a form of communication that relays messages within seconds. Texting has appealed towards the younger generation, specifically ages 18-24, due to its unique and fast lingo such as “lol” (laugh out loud) and “brb” ( be right back)( Netlingo.com). In a recent survey, over 31% of young adults prefer a text message instead of a voice call (Pew Research). However, calling, a more traditional conversation, remains widely used and is the preferred method of communication for over 51% of young adults (Pew Research). The preferred method of contact might be personal, but calling and texting both have advantages and disadvantages. They differ in convenience, interpretation, privacy, and safety.
Many people in today’s society rely on technology to help us with our daily lives and help us stay connected to family, friends, and other people. The advancements in today’s cell phone technology is very complex and made to be efficient for their owners, allowing them to surf the net and IM message people instantly. Cellphones in particular have developed very fast in the past 15 years. From my childhood, cell phones have evolved from the old school Nokia bricks that allowed texts, calls, and simple graphic games, to todays I-Phones that have higher computable capabilities than some computers. In the United States alone, there is an estimated population of around 297 million people, and 197 million people are subscribed to cell phone companies (Starr). With so many people in today’s society with so much power and opportunity in the palm of their hands, we shouldn’t forget that “With great power comes great responsibility” –Voltaire.
Works Cited Childs, Dan. “7 Surprising Ways Cell Phones Affect Your Health.” ABC News. 9 Mar, 2009. Web.
Brain tumors and eye cancer are two health concerns of cell phones that are currently under investigation. Many people have heard rumors about whether or not cell phones are responsible for these health problems, but answers never seem to be found.
During the 20th century, there were many innovations regarding the telephone. In 1973, the first call from a portable phone was made by Martin Cooper, who was a Motorola researcher and executive at the time. Since its inception, the advancement of cell phones has been exponential (Bellis, 2013a). As a result, cell phones have changed how society works in today's world. Many people lack the insight into how cell phones, or in this case, smart phones, affect the people that use them.
When phones became available to the public they were not considered to be mobile in today’s sense of the word. They were available to have installed in an automobile, they were big and bulky, and they needed and consumed a lot of power to use. The phone networks would only support a few simultaneous conversations. Cell phones since then have made vast improvements in their efficiency, abilities, and size. The first handheld mobile phone wasn’t produce until 1973. The origin...
There are more cell phones than residents in Britain (computerweekly.com, 2007). The first cell phone was invented by Dr. Martin Cooper and John F. Mitchell in 1973 (Wikipedia.com, 2014). Cell phone use has escalated over the years. Not only does cell phone usage affect the character traits of a person and their ability to hold regular, face-to-face conversations, it also affects a person’s ability to have healthy, stable relationships. Cell phones have changed from an item of luxury to an everyday necessity for some people.