Technology is one of the things that we cannot ignore in our current society. When new inventions in technology are realized, we experience both negative and positive effects. Mobile phones are one of the items that have been brought about by technological inventions. They are of great importance to the members of the society. Every time, new models of mobile phones are developed to meet the needs of the society. Mobile phones are mostly used in communication activities. They are also important in learning activities especially for the youths. However, mobile phones have both negative and positive effects like any other technology. This research paper will evaluate the impact that mobile phones has caused to the society.
Before innovation of mobile phones, communication was very difficult. It would usually take days before a message is delivered to the intended recipients. The methods that were available were very slow. Passing messages to distances that were far was very difficult. It consumed a lot of time and was expensive. Currently, people in United States are able to send messages within a short period. With mobile phones, people can use texts, make calls, or even communicate through the internet within a very short time. This communication is very cheap also. Therefore, people have benefited from the use of mobile phones in that they are able to send and receive messages within a short period (Katz, 56).
Cell phones have facilitated video calls in the United States. People do not need to meet to see and talk to each other. With video calls, people see each other as they discuss issues. This is important in saving the costs of having to move from one place to another. The people in United States can talk with friends in other countries through the phones, which is cheap (Ling, 2).
Socialization activities have increased with the use of mobile phones. With social sites such as face book and tweeter, people are able to meet new friends. Mobile phones have access to the internet and therefore access to face book is easy. People who were initially shy are able to chat with people through face book since after all; they do not know each other. Use of text messages enable people to interact even though an individual is shy. Through this, people in united states who were initially shy have become courageous to interact with other people physically. Through mobile phones, people end up meeting even though they have never met before. Therefore, mobile phones have encouraged interaction between people who have never met before (Ling, 11).
Even though people argue that technology, make people antisocial, it can be seen that people are able to change their behavior after access to mobile phones. People have benefited with mobole phones because the phones are portable. One does not need to stay on the computer to communicate with others. People in United States may be interacting with people physically while remaining in touch with people at their homes. By this, mobile phones have facilitated socialization process.
Security in the society has been enhanced by the use of mobile phones. Whenever there are security probems, quick response is assured because people are able to communicate easily. Parents are able to communicate with their children far away from them whenever there are problems and the necessary help can be sought. Whenever there health cases, mobile phones help to call for help. When thieves have attacked a house, police can be easily called since the thieves cannot block the use of mobile phones. Whenever there are fire outbreaks, firefighters can be called and response is received within a short time. Through this, security in United States has greatly improved as compared to the time when there were no mobile phones. Research has shown that people now feel more secure with mobile phones (Ling, 14).
Even though mobile phones are of great importance, there are disadvantages that it has brought to the society. Many of the accidents that occur in United States are caused due to use of mobile phones. People talk with their mobile phones, text and even use internet in their mobile phones while driving. This is dangerous in that people lose concentration and this leads to accidents. This is affecting people negatively in that people lose their lives due to use of mobile phones.
Socialization between family members has been destroyed due to the use of mobile phones. Children do not visit their parents due to the fact that they can call and text them. What can be communicated through the phone is usually less than what can be communicated physically. Therefore, the social interaction between family members in United States has been negatively affected. Even in the same building, people fail to talk to each other and instead text. A wife can text her husband instead to talking to him even though they are in the same house. Students in the same class will text each other instead of talking to one another. The presence of mobile phones has reduced the process of interacting verbally (Hanson, 6).
Mobile phones have led to disturbance of people while in social meetings. In church and schools where there is a gathering of many people, ringtones interfere with the concentration of other making them fail to hear what has been said. Some people also receive their calls even when in congregations. Therefore, mobile phones have disturbed social meetings of people in churches and schools, which is not socially acceptable.
In United States, mobile phones have been important sources of entertainment. People are able to download songs and watch songs through YouTube. This kind of entertainment involves one or few people. Entertainment is usually best when there are a large number of people. When people meet and interact, social skills are improved. Since people in United States are relying on mobile phones as a source of entertainment, then it means that they lose the chance to interact and socialize with others. This is a negative impact in the society. It becomes difficult for people to know each other (Hellen, 1).
With the new technology, people are able to buy and sell their goods through the internet. This means that they can shop for certain goods, order and wait for the goods to be supplied. Since the phones have the internet required doing all this, it means that people do not move to buy things. This has affected the socialization process since before the invention of the phones, people used to meet in the market. It is in the market where people could know each other, chat, and socialize. This means that the mobile phones have played a role in reducing the socialization process of people (Hanson, 17).
Mobile phones have enabled students to copy during exams. This means that people are becoming lazier since they do not work hard to achieve good performance. The fact that children can access pornographic materials from, the internet in their phones poses a danger. This is because the moral values of these children are being interfered with.
It is important to also point out that mobile phones interferes with the socialization process between people. When people receive phones while talking to other people, they lack the necessary concentration. It means that they do not concentrate on the people they are talking to through the phone or those they are talking to physically. In this regard, mobile phones end up annoying people they are socializing with. The mobile phones make offering of services difficult. In banks, people receive their phones while being served. It is usually difficult to offer services to such people (Hellen, 2).
Mobile phones have played a role in increasing immorality behaviors among the United States teens. These children make friendships with people they do not know through use of texts and the internet. Sometimes, mature people end up cheating these teens and then exploit the teens sexually. When this happens, children adopt these behaviors and immorality has spread in the United States society due to the use of mobile phones (Ling, 26).
It can be concluded that even though mobile phones have been of great use to the people, they have affected the society negatively. Socialization process in the society has been affected by the technology. Instead of having long conversations, people are now able to send the shortest texts ever. This affects the conversation abilities of people. People usually call their close relatives when there is great need. When people conference through the phones, they lose the chance of chatting and playing with each other during the meeting. The education standards in the United States are reducing hence unqualified personnel is likely to be released in the American society. This is due to the fact that students use mobile phones to find answers from the internet from when in exams. Generally, there are various negative effects that the mobile phones have on the American society (Hanson, 21).
Works cited.
Hanson, Jarice. 24/7: How Cell Phones and the Internet Change the Way We Live, Work, and Play. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2007. Print.
Hellen, Lee. How mobile phones are hurting our relationships socially.2012. Retrieved from;
Marketing charts staff. Cell phones Key to teens’ social lives.2008. retrieved from;
Ling, Richard S. The Mobile Connection: The Cell Phone's Impact on Society. San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann, 2004. Internet resource.
Katz, James E. Connections: Social and Cultural Studies of the Telephone in American Life. New Brunswick, N.J. ;London: Transaction, 2003. Print.
