I think it would be hard to find someone, particularly young people in the 21st century who do not own a mobile phone. 20 or even 10 years ago we would never have dreamed of where our technology would be today.
I remember my first mobile phone it was big, bulky, had a black and white screen and i used it only to text and call people and hey maybe a game of snake here and there. I thought it was the best thing ever! Little did i know in the next 5-10 years this great phone would be revolutionised. We now can pretty much run/control our entire lives from our smartphone. It actually has become a part of our lives, or even a part of you!There are so many positive ways smartphones can aid our lives. It is the ultimate convergence, it allows us to maintain multiple connections at any place and any time with anyone on multiple platforms. It is reshaping our communication. In saying that the phone becomes a part of you, when you loose does it do it cause you to go into a state of absolute terror in the same way it would to think if you lost a limb? Perhaps not that extreme but i know personally i freak out at the thought of loosing my phone, i get that mini heart attack when i search my bag anxiously looking and i cant find it.
Even though there are so many advantages and benefits we receive from our smartphones are we being all that smart with them?? Are we all so consumed and absorbed with our digital connections we forgot about our real life ones? Are we putting our relationships in jeopardy, passing off face to face conversations with simple texts? Can we ever actually escape or unplug? Think about jobs in this technological world, having a smartphone enables you to contactable 24/7, are you expected to be accountable every minute of your life? This 24/7 contact with work can cause crisis/neglect in other aspects of your life. Are you sitting down for dinner with your family or in front of screen replying to emails. Another example could be when we are with our friends are we actually with them or playing on our phones, do we actually want to be elsewhere.
However once kids get old enough some parents feel a sense of confidence and security in that they can keep in touch and know their kids are safe. It gives you a wider reach of home beyond the actual house itself. Sherry Turkle mentions how getting a goodluck message from her daughter is like getting a big hug. It also helps parents with organising and communicating etc.
All in all mobile devices like anything has its pros and cons. However either way they do have the potential to change our lives and who we are.
Images from:
http://www.futurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/apps_phone_1.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Nokia_3310_blue.jpg/150px-Nokia_3310_blue.jpg
http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2012/06/23/1226406/469857-luca-pennisi.jpg
Just goes to show how much the new generations are becoming dependent on technology. Instead of playing a game of cricket outside our kids are in doors being engulfed by the technology around them. No wonder why obesity is on the rise! We need to get our kids outside again kicking the footy, getting dirty. Get them away from these distracting technologies! And parents stop using technology as your scape goat! Provide your kids with other entertainment outlets instead dumping them in front of the television or giving them your Ipad to just shut them up!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how most of us can look back and be able to recall using a mobile phone with a black and white screen. Today, coloured screens are just the beginning of where it all began! We basically have a computer in our pockets when we use our smart phones.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing looking at children today, so young using mobile technology already ! what will children be doing next?!
I agree with Marie on this one! Kids are obsessed with all technology and its sad really. Gone are the days where you would get home from school and meet up with the kids at the end of your street and play until the sun went down... sadly we're all possessed by our smartphones! Boo!
ReplyDeleteI feel strongly about children and their use of technology. I was first introduced to the internet when I was about 9 years old, and I never used it in high volumes until I was about 15. I remember being a very happy child running around and playing outside with my friends in the street! It disappoints me to see that so many younger children are missing out on such simple fun!
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