The Cell Phone and how it Impacts Life
The cellphone is the most significant discovery of the modern day. Cell phones have successfully revolutionalized the communication field to lengths that nobody ever thought that it would get there. The use of cell phones has dramatically diversified from just making calls to more complex activities such as helping in maintaining law and order in a country. The cell phone has time and time again proven to be a beneficial tool one; it is in the right hands.
The Role of a Cell phone in Communication
The primary function of a cell phone is to bridge the geographical gap between people. People can converse well even when they are not close to each other. For example, it is effortless nowadays to send a quick message to a loved one when you are at work and continue with your work without it necessarily being a distraction. Having that ability to communicate with others ensure that your productivity goes up. There is also less time wasted in enquiring about other people. Cell phones, therefore, make people be at ease.
Cell phones have made provision of information much easier, especially to remote areas that are not easily accessible. Cell phones provide access to information where landlines or internet are not available. Cell phones can be used to transmit necessary information over large areas that are not easily accessible. Televisions are now turning to the use of mobile apps to drive live television viewing, advertising, social television, and mobile television. This diversity ensures that the television networks stay ahead of the competition and also another digital platform. Cell phones ensure that information gets to where it needs to be taken, no matter the circumstances.
Cell phones help people stay in some stay in touch with reality and the surrounding environment. Social media usage has dramatically improved in staying in touch with the members of the community, for example, if you did not attend a particular event, and you want to see how the event is going on, nowadays you just log in to Facebook live, and your friends can record the event for you to watch. Also, when you cannot attend an important meeting, you can always do face time with other people you were going to meet. Cell phones, therefore, can help you save time.
Mobile Phone Tracking and its Complexities
Your handsets can be easily used to track your movements. The tracking can be done by the service providers or if desired, by the law enforcement agencies and the government. Both the handset and the sim card can be traced. Tracking people can be done by hackers who can quickly type in your phone number and get your location. Hackers are mostly illegal in all countries. They have straightforward ways on how to find someone’s location using their cell phone number.
Mobile Banking and Payments Through the cell phone
The use of mobile phones to transact has been on the rise globally. The cell phones of today can transfer cash payments by secure short messages. For example, in Kenya, the use of M-PESA has changed dramatically changed how people transact their different transactions. There are apps which are offering small loans to small business people, therefore, ensuring that the businesses stay in business. The banks have also reported being moving towards branchless banking; every activity conducted in branches is now being transferred to the phone. Mobile transactions ensure that customers transact with ease.
Maintaining Law and Order through cell phones
The different police departments have greatly sought the assistance of cell phones to help keep law and order. Every country has an emergency number where citizens can report any crimes; the numbers are always easy to get for everyone, for example, nine nine nine or nine one one. The technological advancement of phones has also ensured that people can take high-quality photos and videos in case there is such a situation. All these factors put together ensures that there is order in the country.
Cell Phones as Research Tools
The cell phone has been extensively used for educational purposes in schools and other institutions. Cell phones have powerful search engines and fast network connectivity, ensuring that access to the internet is readily available. The internet is vibrant with a lot of content, such as the researches of previous scholars and their different works. Researchers and students are first encouraged to view various tasks on the internet and then continue with their investigation. Using the cell phone as a research tool helps one move faster and perform better.
Cell Phones as sources of Entertainment
Phones have greatly improved from their original function to a point where phones are one of the leading sources of communication. Cell phones can play music and also videos. The music can be online or saved in the phone. Cell phones have substantial storage, which allows the owner to store a lot of music. There are apps which offer live streaming of music and videos which are easily accessible via the phone, therefore ensuring that one has access to an unlimited number of songs.
Cell Phones as a gaming platform
Most cell phones today come with games already installed in them. Even with the limited free games that come with the phone, the games are already good enough to keep one entertained for a very long time. There are however downloadable games which are readily accessible from the phone. The phone can very well keep one busy during their free time or when bored. The phone is slowly becoming indispensable with the many application they come with it.
Cell phones as a direction giver
Getting lost anywhere if you have a smartphone is now a thing of the past. All phones now have a global positioning system (GPS), which aids one in navigating new areas. Your phone can easily give you directions on where you are going and how to get there and how much time you have to get there. Nowadays, one does not need to ask for direction from other people, one can open the navigation app on their phone, and the phone will take them where they need to go. Global positioning system makes the phone very indispensable.
The cell phone as a data transfer medium
In this age and time, it is not necessary to carry around paperwork if you want to send it to someone or share it with others. Mobile phones have the capabilities to carry document and also send them via email; this will, therefore, mean that it saves you that trip to the post office. Also other credentials and videos, photos can be stored in a phone for safe keeping. Using your cell phone as a data transfer medium ensures that the documents are secure and well accounted for.
Various Utilities in a Phone
The phone has evolved from the traditional calls only type of gadget. Today`s phone has many features which are very beneficial to the user. For example, the phone can act as a torch, a recording device, data storage, calculator, calendar, the camera, and many other utilities of the invention. These applications that are installed on the phone are meant to better the user experience. The user, therefore, benefits from such services due to the improvement in technology.
Health Effects of Phones
Cell phones use electromagnetic radiation, which can be harmful to the health of people. Majority of the researcher who has studied the phones extensively concur that there is no definite connection to adverse biological effects on humans. The consequences if any are negligible and so it is tough to know if the results are from extensive use of phones. The radiations are, however, believed to manifest after a long time of continuously using the phone. The radiation can cause brain cancer.
Educational impacts of phones
Phones should not be allowed in schools, especially inside a class when teaching is going on. Phones are a great source of distraction to both the teachers and the students. When you have a phone in your pocket, you will always be tempted to look at it. Studies have shown that students in one year lose cumulatively an amount of time that can be up to one week of school per year. For a sound education system that will deliver results, we should always keep our phones aside.
Electronic wastes regulation
Both the manufacturers of the phone and customers may not dispose of their waste correctly. During production, the waste material if not handled properly, can be very harmful. Customers change their phones every eleven to eighteen months; it is, therefore, paramount that waste is disposed of properly. Conserving the environment should be a priority to the manufacturer and ensure that the environment stays clean.
Promotion of Theft
There are a lot of mobile phones in the communities today, and thus, this attracts thieves. More than half of robberies that are taking place today are involving stealing a phone. The phone is tiny and portable for any thief to carry; therefore, this encourages stealing of phones. The manufactures should introduce a kill switch in every phone, which will help shut down phone ones it is taken; this will significantly discourage thieves.
Loss of Money from Being Passionate About Phones
Being a mobile phone enthusiast who follows every brand as it comes out can quickly drain your finances. Phones are increasingly becoming very expensive and therefore to get the best phone you might be required to pay a considerable amount. Also, other things, such as airtime and credit charges, should be considered. For one to be a phone enthusiast, you must first your finances in order and also spend wisely.
Conflict of Minerals due to Phone Manufacturing
There are about seventeen precious and rare metals in one smartphone. These metals are in minimal quantities inside a phone, but the phone manufacturer buys the metals in bulk. One reliable source for these metals is the democratic republic of Congo. The massive demand for these metals fuelled the second Congo war, which claimed more than five million people. The profit from the minerals finance these wars in the democratic republic of Congo. Small children have also been spotted working on the mines, though not directly related to the phone manufacturing, this paint a negative picture to the international community.
Isolation of Individual
The phone connects people from all over the world, but sometimes it might leave someone in their world of fantasy. Due to excessive use of the phone, one might shut out the people close to him or her and instead focus on the ones that are on the phone. Shutting out the people close to you will lead you to isolate yourself. People should monitor their loved ones tightly and ensure that they do not get addicted to the phone. People should be taught different social skills that will help them cope in society.
Mobile Security
Personal and business information are not very secure in a mobile phone. Phones can easily be hacked into and essential information stolen from it. Phones have become a source of new risks for both individuals and organizations; all smartphones are a preferred target of attack. The attacks usually exploit the weaknesses of the different mode of communication like short message service. Security countermeasure is being developed and applied to smartphones. The measures range from security in different layers of software to how information is shared to the users.
The last take
Cell phones are here to stay; they are indispensable. Cell phones have become a very vital part of people’s lives that it is hard to imagine living without one. The importance of cell phones outweigh the few concerns about phones or their components. Cell phones are one of the most significant discoveries that the world has ever experienced. The work of Alexander Graham Bell has been taken to levels that he probably could have never imagined.