Leethan Grandison, Youthlink Writer
Years ago, only the rich could afford to buy mobile phones because of prohibitive costs. Nowadays, it seems everyone has one. As a matter of fact, it is the latest fashion trend (flips are in).
And like trendy garments, it is not unusual to hear people say, 'that phone is wearing or that phone is no longer wearing'. Wearing? They are a part of the dress - a part of the profile.
According to the Chinese government in a press release on its website www.gov.cn, the number of mobile phone subscribers in China hit a record of 400 million for a population estimated to be somewhere over 1,306,313,812 in July 2005.
With statistics like these it is no wonder that industry experts have been describing this technological marvel as a 'social phenomenon'. But what effects are they having on society? Are they friend or foe?
Cellphone boom
Many telecommunication providers have been describing the sale of cellphones as a boon to the industry.
After Digicel launched in April 2001, a mere one 100 days after, it had a total of 100,000 customers. According to Digicel's website, "Never before in the history of mobile telecommunications had such tremendous growth been seen in a network." The site further stated that it took about 13 months to reach 400,000 and now its customer base stands at over a million.
Rather than using a phone only for speaking, a growing number of mobile phone users, including youth, are using a facilitated call Short Message Service (SMS). This is available to them at a minimum cost and allows them to type and send brief messages. Since communicating in this way requires typing on the phone keypad, a number of words are substituted and abbreviated to make sounds.
Various messages are sent. According to Traci Ann, 18, she uses SMS to remind her classmates about assignments, check up on friends or chat with her significant other.
Latisha, another young woman, said it was also used to remind persons about meetings and parties. One young person with whom Outlook Youth spoke said she had used it to end a relationship.
Unfriendly tendencies
Because of this new way of communicating among some youth, social commentators are becoming worried that the mangled spelling and syntax used in SMS message are harming the literacy skills of today's youth. Others disagree, stating that the SMS phenomenon is spawning the revival of writing in a new generation.
Saccsha Ebanks, youth empowerment officer for St. Andrew at the National Centre for Youth Development, states that she believes that both positions have some element of truth and validity in them. According to Ms. Ebanks, "We may be redefining communication patterns between peers or adding a new dynamic to it when we use the SMS."
However, she said they "are predominantly exposed to abridged versions of English. (As a result) they may never realise the derivative of the word they have been abbreviating all this time."
This concern is also echoed by various teachers at both traditional and non-traditional high schools including one who said that at times she got "abbreviated words in assignments and tests" and when she mentioned it to her student, she was told that it was style.
Despite the fact that mobile phones are a useful tool for both socialising and conducting business transactions, to many it may appear to be more a chain than a friend; making them feel stringed to the office. Outlook Youth spoke to persons working in the advertising and entertainment industry and was told that they felt pressured to be available to their bosses or clients at times.
Public enemies
More than creating annoyance, these ever-present devices are also viewed as public enemies, especially in light of the fact that accidents (including those resulting in the death of pedestrians) have been blamed on persons talking on their cellphones while driving.
The danger associated with cellphones even extends further to include the interference with aircraft because persons fail to observe certain protocols. As a result, new aircraft are being built with facilities to block cellphone signals.
Included is the touchy issue of health - developing cancer because of radio frequencies emitted from mobile phones. In investigating these concerns, several in-depth scientific studies have been undertaken. What are the conclusions?
According to the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (IEGMP), a body set up by the United Kingdom government to investigate these concerns, "The balance of evidence to date suggests that exposures to RF radiation do not cause adverse health effects to the general population." However they caution that there may be subtle biological effects, and that it "is not possible at present to say that exposure to RF radiation, even at levels below national guidelines, is totally without potential adverse health effects and that the gaps in knowledge are sufficient to justify a precautionary approach."
While there is still a lingering doubt about the possible health effects of mobile phones, research continues until a definitive answer is found. Thus, Outlook Youth suggests that you use phones for short periods.
Profound impact
In concluding, it is observed that cellphones have a profound impact both socially and economically. Nonetheless, they stand out to be a useful slave or even a demanding master. Therefore, the power lies with you in determining whether they become friend or foe.
SOURCES
http://www.digiceljamaica.com/about/
http://www.jamaicapolice.org.jm/index.html
http://www.iegmp.org.uk/report/announcement.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/2991451.stm
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/factbook/ch/popula.html
http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=183270.
