Physiological and Sociological Considerations of
Screen less Displays: Mobile phone
Over the years, the mobile phone has become an integral part of the society. This technology has been embraced by many members of the society to the point that some people find life unliveable without their phones. Universally, the young generation are the most people that have accepted the mobile technology and therefore the most prolific users. The young people are more likely to connect in high level challenging mobile phone use (Bianchi & Phillips, 2005). This technology has come as a blessing and a curse. Today connecting and having conversations with people has become very easy and convenient however far the other party is. Business transactions have become more profitable and easier through frequent and easy communication. However, with a lot of benefits that the mobile phone has come with, there is the down side of the technology. Many people have lost their lives through accident that are caused by drivers who are disrupted by the use of their phones when driving. The shift of concentration from driving to conversing especially when serious matters are being discussed have made drivers lose control of their vehicles thereby causing accidents. Another example is mobile phone debts that have led to bankruptcy especially for the young youthful users (Griffiths & Renwick, 2003). Moreover, there have been reports of additive mobile use that has become increasingly a problem to the society (Bianchi & Phillips, 2005).
The use of the mobile phone has been favoured by many due to its convenience. Communication has been made easy and cheap. Internet services have been brought closer to the users seeking these services. Getting information and social media interaction has been enhanced through the developments of applications that make the human-phone interaction very easy and desirable. Change is inevitable. In the early years of the 21 century, it was unfathomable that a phone could become a part of everyone’s life. People who were imprisoned before the increased advent of phone usability, upon release, often wonder at the changes that have taken place. Since they were not part of the change, they find it weird but soon also join in the wave of the technological advancement.
Mobile phone companies advertise their product to suit every part of the societies. Phones that have high end usability and those that have basic use are available to the various markets. Companies competing for their market share have created a euphoria that everyone has to have a phone and a high end phone as such. An example is the competition between big companies like Apple Inc. and Samsung. The latest release of Samsung is the Samsung Galaxy S4 that is the talk of everyone that loves the mobile phone technology. These phones are quite expensive but many people still buy them despite the high price tag that is associated to them.
Mobile phone technology has impacted a great deal on the society. Behaviours, attitudes and personalities have been shaped by the set in of this technology. Some people have become addicted to the phone while others take their phones as means of identity. The youth especially have fallen prey to the phone identity crisis. The young generation are competing on the types of phones that they use. The more expensive a phone the more appealing and of greater social class a person is. Behavioural addictions have arisen with the set in of the mobile technology. Technology addiction, which is categorised under behavioural addiction is said to grow when a person or a population depend so much on a technological device to yield a favourable outcome (Griffiths, 1998). Continued use of the technology will overtime become the primary basis of gratification and a major spotlight in a person’s life (Loonis, Apter & Sztulman, 2000). There is a decreasing the levels of engagement of activities that bring positive outcome as the level of phone use go up (Loonis et al., 2000). This behaviour leads to a negative impact on an individual life (Brown, 1997). In comparison to other addictions, behavioural addiction has been linked to withdrawal symptoms such as conflict, behavioural and cognitive salience, and euphoria.
Bianchi and Phillips (2005) developed a Mobile Phone Problem Use and Scale in which they included the symptoms of addiction. They define problematic phone use as the persistent use of the device in spite of the negative impact it has on an individual and the societal restrictions. Friends have contributed lot to the addiction of these technologies on their peers. From Bianchi and Phillips study (2005), they have explained that the use of mobile phones by young extraverts, and those that have got a low self-esteem were more likely to be linked with problematic phone use. The use of the phone by the problematic phone users could be as a result of the desire to enhance their self-esteem (Bianchi & Phillips, 2005).
Normally, it is expected that everyone has access to a mobile phone or at least a phone. This is evident by the presence of a slot for filling in ones mobile phones number. This is true for almost all applications and registration that people do ranging from applying for a job to internet sites where one is needed to register, an example is Facebook internet. Mobile technology has changed the way people interact. The use of the mobile phone has been identified to enhance social inclusion since it allows people to remain in constant contact all the time (Ling, 2004). The rise of technologies has made the world a global community. Developments such as twitter and facebook have really changed how people communicate. These are social sites in the internet where people communicate with each other freely and from every corner of the earth. Applications have been developed that make it easy to use in communicating which are installed in the mobile gadget. Another great impact of the phone is its use a money transfer and saving account. In some countries, for example Kenya, mobile money transfer has been a great success. People have trusted the mobile service providers with their money. Most transactions nowadays in such places are done via the phone transfer services like the M-pesa service that is powered by safaricom mobile service providers in Kenya.
Almost all people from the young to the aging have become an integral part of the mobile technology. However, the utility of their phones are different. The older generation tend to use their phones more as a means of communication for instance calling and making phone calls when necessary. On the other hand, the young generation tend to use their phones more on the internet related services. Their form of communication is more on the social website. Moreover, the teenager nowadays can sit down and use their phones to communicate together although they are seated in the same room. This is so especially when there are elderly people around them whom they would not wish to be part of their discussion. Business community also have not been left behind in the mobile phone craze. Many businesses have built their customer interaction on the mobile phone. In advertising their products, companies can either call their customers to inform them of their new or improved products or post advertising social sites like twitter. Some businesses are purely run over the phone and the mobile phone has come in handy since communication is faster and reliable. Another factor is that some people have reported feeling of being valued and loved when they receive positive messages and contacts on their phones (Walsh, White & Young, 2009).
‘ Following Mors law’s hierarchy of needs the use of phones has been psychologically beneficial. People that feel cared about and valued by other individuals develop enhanced psychological well being and high self esteem (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). Belonging and having a close attachment to others is one of the main fundamentals of human motivation (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). The mobile phone technology provides one with an identity which gives them a sense of belonging to a particular group of people.
Many companies have arisen due to the mobile phone advent. This has hard its bright side and the negative side. Many technologies that have arisen have either impacted positively or negatively on their users. For instance, many arguments have been brought forth regarding the use of genetically modified foods. Although this technology was aimed at providing variety of species that are well adapted to their environment so that they can do well over a shortened period of time, it has been linked to cause serious disease to the human population when such food products are used extensively. Monsanto Corporation suffered a backlash when people protested over the allegation that it was producing food products that contained toxic chemicals. These food products were sold to the people despite the dangers that it posed to the general public. On the issue of the mobile phone, companies such as Apple Inc. have made a lot of money in profits. Such big organizations try to support the communities that they reach with their products. For instance, Apple has been involved with many charity works to help the community that they are. An instance is that they provide educational sponsorships for well deserving students.
Technological improvements like the cochlear have been extremely beneficial for the deaf community. Many deaf persons have had their hearing ability restored by the use of these devices. However, viewing this from the deaf community perspective, it has been detrimental in building the community unit as one. The deaf community strive to live in support of each other. When one of the deaf people gets the ability to hear, the rest of the deaf community is devoid of support from their once deaf colleagues. New technologies make people change their general perspective of life. Far off places have been brought closer to the people by the development of the mobile technology. People, especially the youth, have been identified as more likely to have materialistic orientations. This leads them to develop addiction patterns of behaviour as they are bent on owning objects that mirror their values, attitudes, and their position in society (Dittmar, 2005). Comparing some twenty years ago from today, when a person relocated from one country to another, the only options for communicating was either by writing letter or by word of mouth that a person would deliver on meeting the other partners. The need for fast and reliable communication network led to the desire for the development of well established communication systems.
There are many lifestyle benefits that phone user have been identified to benefit from, for example improve social inclusion (Ling, 2004).Social classes have developed due to the introduction of the mobile phone technology. Mobile technology companies have developed devices that suit every social class appropriately. The mobile phones have been captured as being self expressive identity (Wash &White, 2007). The wealthy have gadgets that are high end with many applications. The less economically influential social class have devices that suit their need and economic abilities. Over time, self identity develops as externalised roles gradually grow to be an internalised part of an individual’s self concept (Gergen, 1971). People’s self identity is more to develop as part of a valuable trait if such behaviours are positively reinforced. Individual’s self identity has developed through the personalization of their phones that gives an expression of their identity by decorating this gadgets and using unique ringtones that appeal to them (Goggin, 2006).
Although the mobile technology has many benefits, it has come with its dark side too. Bad behaviours such as watching pornography have led to the deterioration of morals. The free availability of pornographic materials in the internet has provided a cheap means for people, more so the youth, to watch such explicit materials that corrupt their morals. Another bad behavioural change amongst the phone users is especially noted in the untrustworthiness. It is common to overhear people cheating of about the place they are when conversing over the phone.
Reference
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