Mobile Device Users example essay topic

"Not a wired culture, but a virtual culture that is wired shut: compulsively fixated on digital technology as a source of salvation from the reality of a lonely culture and radical social disconnection from everyday life" (Doheny-Farina, 1996, p. 1). As our culture begins to lose its sense of community we seem quick to embrace mobile devices that promise to keep us connected to others. This paper will examine how mobile devices contribute to our lack of leisure time, affect our social relationships and alter our behavior. The sight of a commuter in gridlock reviewing his day on his Personal Digital Assistant, an adolescent fingering the buttons of a cell phone as if it was the latest video game, and the local caf'e at noon full of laptop users concentrating more on their work than lunch, these are the all too familiar sights we encounter on a daily basis. It seems mobile devices increase our productivity but manipulate our leisure time. A survey conducted in 2000 by Hilton Hotels Worksytles reported nearly half of leisure travelers today take work materials, such as a laptop computer, cell phone or pager with them on vacation (Libaw, 2001, Too connected? section, para.

1). Being able to check our voice mail and email on a mobile device and respond from anywhere in the world might make a user feel connected but these methods of communication can actually breed misinterpretation and cause confusion. Often multiple emails or messages need to be sent to clarify details, this can consume more time than a quick meeting or conference call. The work day now extends far beyond the office walls and office hours.

It has almost been deemed unacceptable business practice to be unavailable, we are expected to be networked round-the-clock. Many employers have embraced new mobile technology providing their employees with laptops and cellular telephones. For example the Ford Motor Company announced they would provide their employees with computers and internet access (Streitfeld, 2000, p. A 1). This self-serving corporate generosity should come to no surprise, since the hours of free labor will quickly return the investment. The common North American expression not enough hours in the day has become a true phenomenon.

A recent survey of 4,113 people conducted by Stanford University found a quarter of the respondents said the time they spent working at home had increased, while their hours at the office had either stayed the same or gone up as well (Stratified, 2000, p. A 1). Americans are working more hours per year than any other country (Figure 1). There is no definitive answer as to why Americans are working longer hours, retiring later and taking less vacation time (Dean Schabner, 2001, Hard Work section, para. 1). The simplest answer is competition in the work place, thirst for status and recognition as well as the growing inflation rate.

"We " re moving from a world in which you know all your neighbors, see all your friends, interact with lots of different people every day, to a functional world, where interaction takes place at a distance" (Streitfeld, 2000, p. A 1). As our lives become busier and as individuals pursue their own agendas multitasking and time-shifting activities take precedence over social interaction. Telephone conversations are becoming shorter and contain less content; often the call is merely a gesture to get in touch. A recent study conducted in Great Britain found the average duration of a conversation on a mobile phone is approximately two minutes (Vatsyayan, 2001, Customer is the Content, para 3 section tele-communications).

It's safe to assume that most of these calls are made to re-schedule, alter plans at the last minute or to leave a voice mail message making excuses for our just-in-time lifestyle. The use of mobile devices in public no longer elicits the stares and whispers they once did, however the behavior of the user is creating a social upheaval. The etiquette of mobile phones and these go any where devices remains uncodified. The line between public and private space has become a little blurry. Have mobile devices become an excuse for bad manners? Many of us have experienced the co-worker, friend or date who answers the cell phone during dinner.

Even after being prompt in the movie theater by voice and screen text to turn pagers and phones to vibrate, you are almost guaranteed to be interrupted at least once by a ringer. Many mobile devices are bound to safety issues, but these devices can actually be merely a false sense of security and prompt us to take unnecessary risks. Fifteen years ago we would have never set out alone on a cross country adventure in the middle of the night or in bad weather without a map, it would have been deemed blatant stupidity. Today however many might take the risk relying on their automobiles GPS, cell phone and laptop with wireless internet to rescue them if their trip turns sour. Many have failed to consider the notion of what happens when they encounter trouble and are rendered incapacitated or are in area where their wireless device can not receive a signal. If a signal is found in a shadow zone it will be weak and unreliable.

At this point in time most mobile devices do not have a means providing emergency personal with location information when a signal is dropped. It is estimated that nearly sixty percent of 911 calls nationally are made using cellular phones, and the 911 centers don't know where those calls are physically coming from (Taylor, 2001 Cell phones let victims slip through 911 safety net, para 5). Mobile devices enable us to access and transfer information almost instantly, keep us posted on current and upcoming events as well as communicate with others around the world in locations we never could before, its no wonder this class of people is becoming more demanding market. It is doubtful that wireless technology and the social implications that surround the devices will disappear anytime soon. In fact, by 2007 more than sixty percent of the population aged 15 to 50 in the United States and the European Union will carry or wear wireless computing devices at least six hours a day. It is estimated this statistic will climb to 75 percent by 2010 (Wireless, Wearable World a Decade Away, para 1).

Research by The finish Tourist Board in conjunction with Nordic group found wireless internet users will out number fixed internet users (Starry, 2000, The way towards a mobile society, p. 2) (Figure 2). While the amount of mobile technology users increases manufactures are challenged to creating an all-in-one device. The mobile device will evolve into a small unit with computing, PDA and cellular telephone capabilities. This paper has examined the aspects of mobile devices that contribute to our decrease in leisure time. An examination of the impact wireless technology has had on our social relationships concluded that mobile devices have made human interaction less of a necessity resulting in an increase in social isolation.

Next, an analysis of mobile user behavior was performed, and it was noted that mobile device users regularly practice poor social etiquette. Perhaps this is how it has always been "evil communications corrupt good manners" (-I Corinthians 15: 33) regardless of the medium they are conveyed across. In conclusion, mobile devices will continue to evolve and have an increasing impact on our lives.

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