The use of mobile phones has an impact on many people in both bystanders and those who are talking through their mobile phones. With the increase in the dependence of many cell phone users on their mobile phones, the conversion is becoming an issue for many people in public places. Research has been undertaken to show the effects that conversations on cell phones affects the driving. There is no research that has been done to show the distraction this has in public places. This paper focused on the effects of a one-sided conversation against two-sided conversation with mobile phone users. It is evident that those people who listen to a one-sided conversation are more distracted than those who hear a two-sided conversation. Cell phones are relied upon for personal communication. Recent research shows that more people are relying on their mobile phones. People have felt that they are emotionally attached to their phones that they are anxious when they are without their cell phones. With the integration of more features to smart hones, it is making cell phone users feel they cannot live without their cell phones. There are personalized features like navigation capabilities, personal organizers and communication capabilities that have made cell phone users feel attached to their cell phones. With these features, most ell phone users feel they have a personal relationship with their mobile phones. Most people have their cell phones being on most of the time. A good percentage of people feel that they should answer their cell phones even if it will interrupt a meeting or an important event. The nature of the conversation that takes place by the cell phone user with the bystanders is what this paper is based on. With this phenomenon of mobile use in public places, it is now becoming evident that more people who are close to the people using mobile phones will be affected.
Cell phone use has negative effects on the cognition of someone. There is a need to have a study to study of the effects of one-sided conversations for bystanders. This is so for people who are using their mobile phones while they are in public places. Well controlled research has indicated hat people who overheard one-sided conversations were more likely to be distracted than those who are distracted by two-sided conversations. The use of mobile phones in public places brings a picture of one-sided conversations for those who are standing near the cell phone users. This scenario is common for cell phone users who make conversations in public places.
In public communication with the use of cell phones, it is common to have intrusion of cell phone and the bystanders find themselves listening to the conversations than to two-sided communication. The annoyance to the people who hear one-sided conversation is consistent for many users. This is a common scenario that is seen by many users in public places. This is common with the use of cell phones in public places. This can be attributed to the fact that there is no distinction by users of private and public places. This is common because people who use mobile phones in public places usually have private conversations with these phones. It is not common to see people use cell phones in public places to discuss business. Bystanders who get exposed to these private and personal conversations do not have control over the level of interactions and conversations with these cell phone users. This is the reason why they feel annoyed with cell phone users in public places. It has been found out that bystanders who find themselves in situations where they are not free to leave, for example, when waiting for public transport, find the use of cell phones in public places annoying and frustrating. It has also been found out that the lack of control of the conversations is the reason why the bystanders feel annoyed and frustrated with the use of cell phones in public places.
Bystanders who overheard a one-sided conversation tend to remember more about what is being discussed than that of two-sided communication. This means that they remembered more words in conversations in single-sided communication than the ones in two-sided communication. This means that there is a tendency to have more distractions in one-sided communication than two-sided communication. Bystanders in public places who listen to cell phone conversations are likely to have correct guesses of what is being discussed in the conversation. This shows that there is a lot of concentration on the subject that is being talked about for the bystanders. This is a cause for distraction and annoyance that the people in public places using their cell phones go through. It is important to understand the causes of the distraction that is being received by cell phone users. People tend to concentrate on the conversations which are single-sided as they try to pierce the pieces together to make something out of the conversation. People who listen to cell phone conversations in public places are found to be confident in what is being discussed in phone conversations. People in public places tend to concentrate on people who use their cell phones. This is a point of concern as people tend to get distracted by these conversations.
The use of cell phones has increased connectivity and reachability to many people. The way people interaction is changing because of the use of mobile phones. It is accessible, and easy to use and increases the connectivity for many people who have hitherto been unconnected. There is a concern about the use of mobile phones in public places. The use of mobile phones in public places is becoming a common phenomenon. With this connectivity and the simplicity of communication, the use of mobile phones is bringing a lot of tensions with strangers. This is so because of the fact that strangers get information about the conversations that take place with those talking with their mobile phones in public places.
Upon the introduction of cell phones as a means of communication, there has been an increase in the rate of daily activities as a result of the fastest means to communicate. Cell phones have enhanced interaction in any place considered to be safe when it comes to socializing. It has helped in maintaining relationship with families, friends and also business partners and in addition it has boosted business activities resulting to balanced economic growth. However social crimes are not left when it comes to cell phone usage, in that strangers are not left behind as a result of eavesdropping when there are communications taking place in public. (Aoki, , and Downes 4) this has fostered a threat on the spillage of personal and private information.
Cell phone usage in public is common; people use cell phones in restaurants, public transits, theaters, church and in social gatherings like weddings. Strangers are characteristics of public places and during communication, they will not help but eavesdrop when they are next to someone talking loudly over the phone. When people eavesdrop on a communication they will try to connect the missing information and therefore conclude on the topic under communication. Cell phone use in public is therefore not good at it destruct strangers since it’s a common and natural behavior for people to eavesdrop when a person next to them is communicating.
Cell phone use in public places should be eradicated. This should be undertaken because of the distraction that this trend is bringing. There should be policies put in place to bring out the guidelines that should be followed when undertaking conversations using their mobile phones.
Cell phone use in public place affects the person communicating and the people surrounding that person. As it affects the listener or rather the eavesdropper, it also affects the person communicating since its automatic that a private and confidential detail could be spilled. This situation happens mostly in places where one cannot find a secret place to communicate an example is when one is communicating in a public transit. Communicating in the presence of a friend also can distract attention since the person communicating tends to give more attention to the caller than the companion (Katz, and Aakhus 82).
When people use cell phones in public, they could be doing so to keep them busy. It could be annoying when one finds themselves next to a person communicating, thus one does not have a choice but to either eavesdrop or avoid. This occurs due to the fact that one does not have the power to control the conversation, the time it starts, its content and how long will conversation last. It’s therefore an obligation of the bystander to be calm for the power rest upon the person communicating. According to Humphreys, the decision on the use of cell phones in public is upon the phone user to utilize technology example the use of caller id which provides a choice of either to receive a call or block it (Ran, and Leung 72).
Cell phone use in public places has led to a change in ethical issues in social places. It has blurred boundary spaces existing in private and public. Firstly the public space has been turned to private spaces by individuals who display unpleasant behaviors by acting as if they are alone. Cell phones are important in our social aspects but it makes people to break the ethics in the social place. Secondly, it is shown by a study that use of cell phone fulfills a need of belonging in human through connecting with others.
Conclusion
There should be order with the use of cell phones in public places. They should be policies set to guide uses while they are conversing using their cell phones in public places. Cell phones should have limits on their usage and should follow some procedures. This should be undertaken as research shows that cell phone use brings a lot of distraction and annoyance to the bystanders. This will eradicate distraction of use of mobile phones in public places.
Works Cited
Aoki, Kumiko, and Edward J. Downes. "An analysis of young people’s use of and attitudes toward cell phones." Telematics and Informatics 20.4 (2003): 349-364.
Katz, James E., and Mark Aakhus, eds. Perpetual contact: Mobile communication, private talk, public performance. Cambridge University Press, 2002.
Wei, Ran, and Louis Leung. "Blurring public and private behaviors in public space: policy challenges in the use and improper use of the cell phone."Telematics and Informatics 16.1 (1999): 11-26.
