Use of Mobile Phones - Essay Example

Use of Mobile Phones Use of Mobile Phones Technology is one of the most important aspects especially in the modern world. According to Wischhusen, M.et al (2000), technology has become a part of human life and thus cannot be detached from them. If anything, human beings have been compelled to accept this global change and its consequence thereof. Moreover, there has numerous technologies that have both direct and indirect impacted the life of human beings. One of the numerous technologies that have a direct impact on human beings across the world is the use of mobile phones. Apparently, the use of phones has been present for the last one century or so. Nevertheless, at the time most people used the commercial phones such as telephones to communicate especially in businesses and other related matters. Such kind of communication was extremely expensive and only a small percentage of businesses could afford. Consequently, those who were able to purchase or own these kinds of phones used them with extreme caution and for very important reasons. Conversely, private entities such as homes used the phones for communication although this was only present to those who could afford such kind of luxury at the time (Miller & Horst, 2006). Eventually, mobile phones were discovered by an inventor known as Martin Cooper in 1973 while he worked as a senior development engineer in the mobile equipment group. According to Cooper, the invention of a portable phone was driven by the necessity he saw from people to communicate in a more private manner as compared to the then phone communication where privacy was not upheld. Furthermore, Cooper argued that apart from the privacy issue, people needed phones that they would use anytime and anywhere without necessarily having to be connected to immobile places such as office desks, homes or even persons who traded with phones for communication (Miller & Horst, 2006). The Importance of mobile phones In this regard, Ling (2004) articulates that the use of mobile phones is highest across the world. According to a recent research, there are approximately six billion mobile subscribers out of the seven billion people population across the world. Moreover, more people continue to embrace the information and communication technology by becoming mobile subscribers. For instance, Asia is argued to be a region with the highest number of mobile subscribers across the globe. Therefore, importances of mobile phones are numerous and continue to increase by the day. Firstly, mobile phones are being used in modern society to keep in touché with family, associates in business among others. As a matter of fact, Ni & Zheng (2006) points out that, the current technology especially of advancement has enabled the mobile users to not only receive and place calls but to also access their emails, store important data, taking pictures through the provision of cameras in mobile phones, and convert them as walkie talkies when and where necessary. Secondly, the use of mobile phones has increased competition in the wireless service provider industry across the globe thus agitating the prices of mobile phones in the market to being affordable and user friendly. Thirdly, mobile phones have been regarded as a sense of security especially now when there are diverse needs. For instance, in case of emergency, mobile phones have been confirmed to assist in reachability, accessibility thus ensuring that there is possibility of saving lives. Apart from personals security, Ni & Zheng, (2006) argues that mobile phones are necessary in accessing internet, sending and receiving photo and files. Technically speaking, a certain percentage of mobile phones have been incorporated with technologies such as GPS, which facilitate use of mobile phones in most locations across the world, further allowing for the location of both the users and the devices in the event of any emergencies. Finally, the reception of mobile phones has become reliable and that of high quality due to the impact of technology. Basically, service providers continue to offer excellent packages and promotions. Thus, accessing service providers has become easier due to increased competition and reduction in prices. In a general sense, the use of mobile phones has today been confirmed as one way of joining the global village. Through advanced technology, users of mobile phones are at liberty to choose the level of connection they find best depending on their statues. Hence, some mobile phone users have chosen simple phones which they use for communication purposes only. On the other hand, a large percentage of users are those that have purchased advanced phones which give more facilities such as internet, camera, Skype, WhatsApp, Video recorder, Calendar among others (Ni & Zheng, 2006). Potential negatives of Mobile phones Although the use of mobile phones has been rated as one of the most reliable technology, there are a number of potential negatives that have been associated with it (Wischhusen et al., 2000). One of the most risky one is that its use has been confirmed to be a potential cause of Cancer and other health related challenges. According to health scholars, mobile phones are argued to emit radiofrequency energy that leads to cancers related to brain, nerves, head and neck even though some of these health risks have not yet been officially confirmed (Ling, 2004). In regard to society, the use of mobile phones has led to the degradation of societal morals as it has continually increased cheating in both family and business levels. For instance, a number of families have broken up due to cheating spouses among other issues. Moreover, the use of mobile phones have led to workflow disruption since there is a perception that employees are available to pick up their calls during working hours, a situation that further leads to decreased productivity, and the failure to meet deadlines as would be expected by the employers. Consequently, the use of mobile phones has also led to difficulty in monitoring calls especially at workplaces and other public places. As a result, there is increased insecurity because people are not aware of the type of communications taking place. For instance, most of the major crimes committed across the world entail a gang of criminal who communicate between themselves as they plan on how to execute their mission. It is worth noting that these potential negative among others might not be curbed due to continuous use of mobile phones (Miller & Horst, 2006). References: Ling, R.(2004). The mobile connection: the cell phones impact on society. San Francisco, CA : Morgan Kaufmann. Miller, D. & Horst, H.(2006). The cell phone: anthropology of communication. New York, NY : Berg. Ni, L & Zheng, P.(2006). Smart phone and next generation mobile computing. Amsterdam; Boston: Elsevier; San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann ; Oxford : Elsevier Science distributor. Wischhusen, M.et al.(2000). Information and communication technology. Harlow: Heinemann Educational. Read More