Development of new technologies and wide use of mobile devices have inevitably entered lives of nowadays society. There is absolutely no doubt that ‘mobile communication is a characteristically personal medium with the technological affordance of individual addressability in ways that fixed and even portable media cannot offer’ (Campbell).
Today phones do not serve for businesses or emergency purposes only. Every now and then we experience the desire to dial up the number of someone we want to share our emotions or news with.
Moreover, mobile devices take a lot of our time, they make us more dependent and, to top it all up, they even influence family relationship.
Let us be honest with ourselves, cell phones, smartphones, tablets and other devices of the kind occupy our homes and minds more intensely than any other modern technological achievements do. Cell phones make us lose the sense of time or self-control. We do not notice how fast the time flies when we use them.
If you look at the people on the subway train, you can hardly find those just chatting with each other. Even friends going out for a dinner would look at their phone screens every now and then.
At this point it is necessary to mention the issue of ethics when chatting on the cell phone in public. We all love to enjoy our time while some people just forget that there are other people around them and are likely to be not that much interested to be aware of the details of someone else’s life.
‘Mobile devices such as cell phones and smartphones are particularly important to examine because many individuals keep them on or near themselves at all times, even next to their bed as they sleep’ (McDaniel).
It is true that we reach out for cell phones in order to relief the first feeling of stress or neediness, to fill our time breaks with some sense. We become more vulnerable in case the number of impulses to get connected with someone from the outside grows.
Cell phones make people more and more dependent every day. Dependence on the cell phones is not just about the habit of having them handy but is about the distraction we fall into when using them.
We mentally focus on the necessity of becoming more dependent on the technology as it lets us identify ourselves, stay informed of the contacts, addresses, birthdays of family members and even our ways home.
Addiction to cell phones is becoming stronger than addiction to the other perils of modern technological world. Cell phones let us stay connected, they entertain us, they help parents make their children busy when it is necessary, etc.
We are ready to continuously dial, text, call, communicate with those who are far away and even with those who are just in a couple of steps away from us. I would even say that we are becoming lazier and less social.
Talking on the phone or just texting the messages over the cell, we forget about the pleasure of fully functional communication when you are able to see the eyes or to feel the emotions of your conversation partner.
Mobile devices ‘have become so popular and have such attractive features that some individuals and families are beginning to use them in ways problematic for themselves and their relationship’ (McDaniel).
We avoid uncomfortable talks by ignoring the phone calls. We take off personal responsibility when decide to break up with our partners or become very cruel in judging others.
We easily hurt feelings of others without putting any thought into the possible consequences of our words and deeds.
Feeling incapacitated without our cell phones, we start putting less trust in the relationship with our dearest and nearest. Unfortunately, sometimes it might be enough to miss a couple of phone calls to let the tragedy happen.
All of the above said does not mean that I neglect the advantages of cell phones for our lives at all. There is no doubt that cell phones are of great help and convenience because they help us stay in touch with people we love and need.
The point is to stay reasonable and not to overestimate all the cell phones pros. Cell phones are supposed to work for us, not vice versa. Thus, for example, there is absolutely no need to change the cell phone model every three months.
In my opinion, we would continue using them, but it is necessary to enjoy not all the functions they possess or options they can offer, but to enjoy the high quality communication we deserve or strive for.
I would recommend to all of us not to forget to become less dependent on our cells. Let’s just switch internet off on our mobile devices at least sometimes and spend this time with pleasure seeing our friends and family members in person!
References
Campbell, Scott. Mobile communication and network privatism: A literature review of the implication for diverse, weak, and new ties. Review of Communication Research, 3 (1), 1-21. 2015. Print.
McDaniel, Brandon. ‘Technoference’: Everyday intrusions and interruptions of technology in couple and family relationships. Family communication in the age of digital and social media. New York: Peter Lang Publishing. 2015. Print.
