TS+P4+Cell+Phones+JR+Paper

Good Lots of good information and references to what you’ve read. But your paper is mainly a report on cell phones, their growing use and the different way of using them. Your only point on how they are affecting society is increased auto accidents and their health risks. It would have been nice to see a little more exploration into how these devices are changing us. GRADE A user:pbeder

Jenna Ross June 1, 2007 Tech & Society Mr. Beder

=__Cell Phones Impact on Society__=

From the beginning of time, communication has been a major aspect to society. The first humans to exist on Earth used symbols to communicate with each other. As technology grew over time, telephones became essential to people, as they could communicate with others right in the comforts of their own home. Now in 2007, society has cell phones. If you’re on the run, but can’t afford to miss a call use a cell phone. If you want to browse the Internet or check your email, use a cell phone. If you simply just don’t want to use your regular house phone, use a cell phone. Cell phones have been widely consumed in many countries by many people. With new inventions being made everyday to cell phones, communication is at an all time high, possibly making cell phones one of the most important information technologies to our society. Before cell phones, people had telephones. Telephones were attached by a long curly wire, making it hard to leave a room. Eventually telephones were made portable, now making it easy for people to move around in their house while on the phone. But society needed something more portable. A man by the name of Martin Cooper is considered to be the first inventor of a non-vehicle mobile phone. He made the first call on a cell phone April 3, 1973. The first cell phone was introduced to the public in 1981 and the first cell phone provider was Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT). At this time cell phones were considerably big and heavy, so most of the people that did own them, had them installed into their cars, using it as car phones instead. With the advancement of miniaturization, cell phones eventually over time became smaller and lighter. As cell phones became more compacted, owners are now able to carry cell phones with ease. Now cellular phones have many features as oppose to when it first came out. As cell phones increasingly got more advanced, noticeable changes were made. Cell phones now don’t have the typical green or blue screen. They have color and in most, feature cameras and have options for ring tones. Cell phones now include text messaging, e-mail, Internet and instant messaging. People can conduct business right from their cell phones or people can simply have conversations with others without actually speaking to them. From when cell phones first came out and had only one cell phone brand, today there are many brands to choose from. Out of the cell phone brands on the market, Nokia is the largest in the world, generating 36 percent of the global market’s share. Society has come along way from its early ancestors of communication. For years telephones have been the main source of communication for people; now cell phones have taken over as being the main source. The use of main telephone lines has decreased, and in an article in 2000, stated that over 50 million people in America own cell phones. Seven years later the total has increased substantially. The total percent of cell phones bought per year is 40 percent. Assuming most cell phone users are mostly young people, surprisingly only 9 percent are under 24 years old. Also surprisingly Africa has the largest growth rate in subscribers, while India is the biggest growth market, adding 6 million cell phones per month. While features such as instant messaging, and e-mail have become widely popular amongst young people, those same features are widely favored in the workplace. Out of those communication methods, e-mail is essentially important to most businesses. In an article by Barry M. Aarons, users spend an average of 49 minutes a day, managing their email, while receiving an average of 22 email messages a day. 53 percent of those people check their email at least six times a day when they are in their offices, while 34 percent of those people check in constantly. Cell phones such as the Blackberry, and the T-mobile MDA has made e-mailing very easy to operate, causing the sales of these cell phones and others to increase considerably. Most users feel e-mailing is better than most face-to-face contacts. While e-mailing is heavily populated in the workplace, it’s also popular amongst in-house businesses. In a report by Good Morning America, it was reported that many parents who own cell phones such as the Blackberry, are constantly on it checking their e-mail and occasionally missing dinner and family time. Not only is e-mail used for business purposes, but also to keep in contact with family; as the younger generation tend to use e-mailing, instant messaging and texting often as well. While e-mailing has become popular in the workplace, sources such as The Wall Street Journal have stated that corporate America is discovering the power of instant messaging. Over the past few years, workers have quietly brought instant messaging into the workplace. They found it to be more efficient to work with as oppose to using telephones. Instant messaging provides an instant response as a telephone would. Research has found instant messaging not being viewed as a work distraction, but as a new business tool. 47 percent of the people in the workplace have stated using instant messaging and those who use it in the household are at 53 percent. 96 percent of the people who used it at home, 20 percent of those used it at the office. As instant messaging popularity increases, it replaces the use of telephones and even e-mailing. Many cell phones today if not all have features such as instant messaging features for a certain fees making it essential for people in the workplace as well. There really isn’t a need for telephones lines, when a cell phone contains most features a regular telephone line would. With the popularity of cell phones increasing every month and major cell phone companies making huge profits, are cell phones actually endangering our health? Yes cell phones have created an easy communication system, but reports have shown its also affecting our health. Reports and studies have shown that cell phones are linked to tumors, especially brain tumors due to the high radiation in the batteries. People who are constantly on their cell phones are more at risk than those who use it on an average basis. Not only are cell phones endangering our health, but it’s also a major safety hazard in transportation. In a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) more than 85 percent of cell phone owners use their phones while occasionally driving, and more than 27 percent use their phones during half or most of their trips. In most speculations of car accidents, drivers are most likely talking on their cell phones rather than dialing at the time of the crash. A few drivers also are startled when their cell phones ring and, as they reach for it, they either run off the road or strike something. Other driver factors included driving too fast for conditions or failing to stop causing the majority of cell phone users to be in striking distance of vehicles ahead of them. With that said, cell phones are still consumed daily by people and the impact on accidents and health issues have little effect on the public, creating little profit issues for cell phone companies. As the daily consumption of cell phones increase the more likely more accidents will occur. As cell phones have affected our society in a major way. It has taken communication at an all-new level. With new inventions and features being made constantly to cell phones, it’s less likely that consumption of cell phones will decrease. With the many issues of cell phones being major risks, the invention has definitely benefit our lives in more ways then one. It keeps us in contact with people and has helped people in the workplace retrieve important information. Cell phones are definitely a major information technology that has advanced our society in many ways.