Technology!

The Cell Phone and You!

By: Justin Deng

Welcome!Cell phones have become a large part of daily life today. A growing field with new models and technologies being released every year, we have grown up around them and are used to relying on these small devices for our many needs. From the first cell phones to flip phones, candy bar phones, and smart phones, these cellular devices have played a major role in effecting our society and our personal lives.

Wait, what cell phone?

Do we really think of a mobile device to make calls easier when we say “cell phone”?

Emails, web-browsing, texting, YouTube, applications, games, media, banking…and more! All on our modern day phones! More like mini-computers!

Facts

- One of the most profitable and best-

selling items!

- They are a necessity! Almost like owning music or a TV

- They are cheap

- Mobile and easy to use!

A Little History:

-The Motorola DynaTAC (right) was the first

commercially available cell phone in 1983.

- Had a battery life of 30 minutes, and its

cost was$4,000.

(We’ve come a long way, haven't we?)

Even Earlier!

Humble Beginnings

How Do These Devices Relate to the Past?

- During the 1830s, Samuel Morse proves signals could be transmitted through wires.

- Morse later developed a telegraph that translated the signals into dots and dashes

- Invention of the telegraph sparks intercontinental communication and competition from the telephone.

- Technologies today build up on the core functions of devices of the past: communication with others over long distances.

Changing SocietyHow has a generation that has grown up/around cell phones changed?

- 41% of users say they fill idle time spent traveling or waiting for something by making calls.

- 4 out of 5 teens carry a mobile device.- 28% of drivers admit that they do not practice

safe driving while on their mobile devices.- 82% of all Americans report being annoyed by

loud, irritating calls made in public.- 57% of teens view their mobile devices as key to

their social life.- Texting replaced talking!

These statistics are bit old, so the numbers may have increased in the last few years!

A Good Thing?- It can be argued that mobile devices have helped to create “an informative, connected, culturally innovative, participative, and converging society.”

- Major things that the cell phones influence:- Better business practices

- Accessibility of information

- Competence in communications

- Political and social union

- Youth and new culture

Good stuff!

Personal LifeWhat caused the boom/attraction to

cell phones?- Accessibility: Easy to

use, cheap to buy!

- Individuality, status, and confidence: Keep in touch with people

- Empowerment: Our own private device. No one can tell us what to do with it!

- Freedom: We can take our phones anywhere and do anything!

- Entertainment: Movies, books, pictures, and more can all be loaded and viewed!

Impacts on the

Economy!

-Policy making

- Infrastructure improvement

- Faster communication

- Employment

- New and improved business

But, the negatives…

In society:

- Extra expenses! Many people are surprised by their cell phone bill.

- More than 65,000 tons of electrical garbage is made up of cell phones, and this number is growing! (Cell phones contain toxic chemicals and metals)

- The amount of features a cell phone carries makes teens tend to overuse their mobile devices. This distracts them from more important activities, and leads teens to neglect food, relationships, and parents.

More negatives!

On health:

-Teens are prone to disrupted sleep,

restlessness, stress, and fatigue.

- Slower response times

- Exposure to radiation from cell phones

increases risk of some cancers (contentious

statement)

Effects on the Brain

Car Accidents (Of course I would talk about this!)

- The majority of teens in the US ignore cell phone driving restrictions.

- Thousands of people are involved in fatal driving accidents a year thanks to distracted driving.

- Talking on a cell phone while driving reduces one’s reaction time to that of a 70-year-old’s.

- Almost 81% of all drivers admit to making phone calls behind the wheel!

Don’t use your phones while driving, kids!

(Added for dramatic effect)

Conclusions Yes, the cell phone may have produced a less-cognitive, more lazy, more dangerous (in some way) society for all of us. But it can’t be denied the culture and way of life it has built also. We can use phones for practically anything these days; from messaging, taking pictures, checking the web, playing games, and work.

In this quickly changing society and competitively driven world, we take for granted all the wonderful things that our mobile machines allow us to do! Who knows what the future holds and what else we could accomplish with the technology?

Questions to Consider!

1. How does the cell phone shape society today?

2. What are the positive and negative effects of mobile devices?

3. What will society look like in the future, with advancements in technology and evidence from what is already happening today?

4. Can anything be done to fix or limit the negative effects cell phones entail?

Possible Answers!1. Thanks to the growing number of features and the accessibility of cell phones, people are spending more and more time on their phones. The world today is shaped around technology, and the cell phone has become a must-have to keep up with these changing times!

2. Thanks to the cell phone, we have easy access to information, faster communication, and more! Thanks to web browsers, we can find things on-the-spot or message someone immediately. But with these advancements comes over-reliance, strained relationships, and loss of focus. (Car accidents or more important matters)

3. The future looks bright with being able to do more and more on our phones. We may spend less on TV or mp3 players, as our cell phones would be capable of handling more and more of our entertainment needs! However, no doubt we would see an increase in car accidents, health issues, and conformity.

4. Things are already being done to help address problems that modern cell phones bring! Some models are made from 100% recyclable materials to help the environment, and others are simple phones that do the basic of functions. In the future, we may see more energy-efficient batteries, and phones that produce less radiation.

Sources:http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell-phone/statistics.html (Statistics on cell phone related car accidents)

http://inventors.about.com/od/tstartinventions/a/telegraph.htm (History of the telegraph)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_mobile_phones (Short history of the cell phone)

http://cellphones.org/blog/evolution-of-the-cell-phone/ (Another short history of the cell phone)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_radiation_and_health (Effects on sleep, the brain, cancer, and health)

http://www.helium.com/knowledge/153874-why-are-cell-phones-so-popular (Compilation of articles on why phones are so appealing)