Cell Phone Pandemic
Over the past years technology has undeniably progressed immensely. Advancements in the technological industry have innovated the way people communicate. Communication amongst people has enhanced amazingly. One very significant and ubiquitous evidence of this progression headway is the mobile cellular phone. We are all familiar with the forgotten land-line. Yes, that annoying ring that we block out when we’re sitting on the couch too busy text messaging on our cell phones; the house phone. The house phone has nearly become antiquated too many. Landlines are less common in family households since most people now carry cell phones. Cell phones are favored since they are more convenient, miniature enough to fit in our pockets and they ease our access on a moment’s notice.
Cell Phone Evolution
Cell phones are incredibly versatile. I think we can all agree that cell phones make communication very feasible, but they also come in handy for various purposes.
Because people enjoy being connected with family and friends from various distances, cell phones are most importantly used for communication. Cell phones make it easier to connect with people in seconds. The internet and cell phones are the leading greatest impacts on the quality of communications with family elsewhere. Another form of communication widely used is instant text messaging. Text messaging is very convenient for sending out a brief text to someone or sometimes even to carry out a full conversation. Some cell phones are equipped with internet access so many times people use their cell phones to communicate through emails. Communication is necessary on various occasions. We use our phone to call up an old friend and catch up, or a new friend we would like to know more about. We use it to call our families to see how they are doing. We use it for business purposes, to call a client or coworker and talk about business matters or to reach that very very busy boss at work who is hardly ever home. Other occasions, less desired, are during emergencies. Cell phones are a great help when we need to call someone for help. Say you just experienced a car accident, you can easily call an ambulance and family members. Or say you simply run out of gas, you can call someone for assistance. According to surveys done by the website Pewter Internet, 74% of cell phone users say it has helped in emergencies.
Second, cell phones are used for convenience. The advancement of cell phones has eliminated the use of multiple devices. They are no longer use only for the sole purpose of communication. Cell phones have eliminated the inconvenience of heavy watches by displaying the date and time on the screen. Some people no longer carry agendas/calendars because cell phones now have this feature. Cell phones can be programmed to remind of event, important dates, appointments, birthdays and so on. You no longer see huge alarm clock in our bedrooms because the cell phone is also an alarm that can be programmed a lot simpler than those complicated alarms that don’t always go off. We don’t have to turn on the television to check the weather, many cell phone have a forecast feature. Address books are not necessary because our contacts are saved on our phones. When traveling, we don’t need the bulky, extensive maps that block our road view, many cell phones, such as the iphone, have GPS system or internet for a quick map quest search. We don’t have to carry cameras, mp3 players, video cameras, or radios anymore because most of these are integrated in our phones.
Finally, cell phones are used for our entertainment. According to Pewter surveys, 41% of cell phone users use their phone for fun while traveling or waiting. If we are ever bored out of our minds with nothing to do, (which doesn’t regularly happen when you have an iphone) we reach in our pockets and take out one of the most amazing devices ever created by man, our cell phone. We can call or text a friend. We can listen to music since most cell phones store mp3 files and some even have a radio feature. We can play and download games on our phones. If I am ever bored, a quick game of tetris on my phone keeps my brain active. We can take a funny picture or video, send and receive them, with our cell phones. There is always something entertaining to view on the internet, so whoever conquered the idea of internet in our cell phones is/was a genius. With internet access in our phones we can socialize on our myspaces or facebooks anywhere.
I created a survey myself to compare my research. The survey was done through text messaging. In the survey, I asked various peers. The survey consisted of twenty six people, mostly teens.:
On a scale from 1-10, how important is your cell phone to you?
Half of the people, 13, rated a 10. Only two rated a 9. One rated an 8. Seven said a 7. One said a 4 and the last person said 100000!
The Second question was, how would you feel if you had lost your phone?
Many people said the words lost, dis-communicated, naked, isolated, and screwed.
“My cellphone gives me a sense of security because I know that anywhere I am if I am ever in trouble, someone is only a call away.”
“My cell phone is my life. I have all my personal information and pictures in it.”
“It helps me communicate with peers easily when I am not at home and it keeps me organized because it is my planner.”
“It helps me get around town with my GPS”
“My phone has my life, If i lost it i would have a panic attack.”
“I love my phone because I always wonder what time it is.”
” I paid almost $400 for my cellphone”
“I have my work schedule, bill/school due dates, my class mates numbers in case i forget an assignment and or co-workers in case i need a shift covered.”
“My kids have to be able to get a hold of me at all times, I have five and i am a very busy busy mom.”
“Since I am away and in the military, it’s the only way i can talk to my wife.”
“I use it to talk to my girlfriend and people i don’t regularly see.”
“I got my first phone thirteen years ago and it was necessary because i had just started my own business. It is highly convenient because i need to be reachable at any time. It also comes in handy on emergencies.”
“I use my iphone for email, ebay, games, gps, and phone..I can do everything!”
How Often do you use your house phone?
More than half said never. Some didn’t know they had one. Many didn’t know what their house phone looked like. One person, jokingly said, “Uh what’s a house phone?” Still, some said it came in handy because they couldn’t afford to waste so many minutes.
Cell phones are not only useful, but have become a must-have. The importance of our cell phones is apparent. Cell phones use to be a rare thing, almost an impossible but now days,children as young as eight years old carry their own cell phone. They have become very popular amongst young people and people of all ages. Communication seems to be the trend to follow. Everyone is communicating. Text messaging seems to be one of the greatest uses of cell phones.Lately, text messaging seems to be an obsession amongst young adults and teens. Many people enjoy text messaging because it is simpler than a one on one conversation. Personally, I really prefer text messaging over talking on my cell phone. I am a “texter” and my inbox is usually full.
It is now apparent that cell phones are only progressing and here to stay. It has become a world of technology. The use of all these new high tech devices has opened new doors for us. They have connected the world in better ways and made of the world a smaller place. From calling, text messaging to email and more, we can communicate in all sorts of ways with almost anyone. The cell phone has revolutionized our lives and has become a part of us and our culture. The cell phone is not only popular in our country, the US, but it is well known in developed countries like China and Europe. It is also being developed in poorer developing countries. It is definitely a pandemic, the cell phone pandemic. I have caught it 
# What makes it important?
This project was about how the internet has exploded into a phenomena in which cell phones are becoming more and more important to us.
# How are background information and research data given, so that viewers or readers can really understand the argument and conclusions?
I like how you conducted a survey; it really gets the message across to the reader. You also included some statistics which i liked as well.
# How did the authors choose to use other media to support their explanations and arguments?
The author used youtube videos relating to the subject to help enhance the point she was making, which is how cell phones are dear to us now.
# Do you understand how all the information fits together?
I understood the information, i liked how she incorperated different types of media to get me more involved, thus making this subject clearer.
# Does the conclusion seem to follow logically from the
rest of the project?
It is a very thorough conclusion which is logical towards the whole essay, i just wished it was a little shorter.
I really enjoyed reading your project. I really liked how you compared the generation of the cell phone in those two advertisement videos. It was an easy essay to follow and understand and was very interesting. I liked how you incorporated media into your essay too.