Cellphone Benefits and Costs, Research Paper Example

A recent internet article listed products that may soon go extinct and the landline phones are one of them (The Telegraph). The reason is no other than the emergence of cell phones as an almost perfect substitute, only with more convenience and much more capabilities. Cell phones might have been a status symbol in the 1980’s and the 1990’s but today they are a basic commodity. Modern cell phones look nothing like their ancestors as they slowly transform into mini-computers that fit into the palm of a hand. As of 2010, 91 percent or over 285 million Americans were estimated to own wireless cell phones, according to a semiannual US wireless industry survey (Foresman, 2010).

Cell phones have greatly increased the operating efficiency and productivity of companies. It is no longer necessary for clients and service providers to be in their offices or homes to be accessible since they can contact each other anywhere. In addition, cell phones also allow professionals to immediately access news, data, and other productivity tools which help save time and achieve more of the tasks within a fixed period of time. Not only white-collar professionals have been benefitting from cell phones but also blue-collar workers. Limousine drivers and delivery drivers can be reached directly by the customers and many of them have been able to become self-employed because they do not need a third party to reserve customers well in advance.

The technology in cell phones have advanced to such an extent that they can perform many of the functions usually done on computers. The greatest benefit has been the instant access to information and cell phones have even become an important educational tool at some universities. Students can download podcasts or access them directly on the web, anytime and anywhere. Cell phones have also been making our lives convenient in many other ways some of which are also good for the environment such as paperless checkouts at restaurants, payments through mobile wallets instead of paper checks, and e-tickets for boarding flights.

Cell phones have also been a blessing for parents who may be worried about the safety of their children or want to monitor their whereabouts round-the-clock (Weller, 2011). Cell phones may even help recover abducted children due to the GPS technology in many cell phones as well as GPS apps with additional features. The role of cell phones in keeping our children safe cannot be underestimated as according to the U.S. Department of Justice, 797,500 children (younger than 18) were reported missing in a one-year period of time studied which translates to an average of 2,185 missing children per day (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were approximately 62 million children in the U.S. between the ages of 3 and 17 in 2010 (U.S. Census Bureau).

Cell phones have also been beneficial to the health care sector since doctors can be reached anytime in emergency situations. Similarly, old people can also immediately seek emergency help without having to reach for a landline phone or a home emergency system which in some cases may not be possible due to limited mobility. Cell phones are also helpful in seeking assistance where other communication sources may not be available such as during roadside emergency situations.

Cell phones have also been playing an important role in promoting political and social changes around the world as well as increasing fundraising capabilities of non-government organizations (NGOs). The world was able to witness the actions of suppressive regimes in Middle-East and Iran in the last few years because individual citizens took pictures of events as they took place and broadcasted to the world that local media would or could never have published. It would not be an overstatement to claim that cell phones have been playing a major role in the rise of citizen journalism. Similarly, almost every major politician in the U.S. has utilized cell phone donations. In addition, cell phones also became an important source of donation during the numerous global natural disasters that have occurred over the last decade including Asian Tsunami, Haiti Earthquake, and Japan Tsunami. Even Salvation Army has an app with a built-in link to the donation page on the internet (Fisk, 2011).

Cell phones have also helped create or at least have played a major role in the creation of numerous multi-billion dollar companies such as Twitter, Foursquare, and Zynga. These and many other companies together earn billions of dollars in revenue and help expand the tax receipts base of the government. The success of these companies also indirectly benefits the economy by increasing entrepreneurial spirit among the high school students and college graduates.

Cell phones have also been helping keeping our neighborhoods safer. A nine-month study in eleven counties in Dade County Florida found that there was a tremendous decrease in burglaries, thefts, and robberies due to the cell phone use by the neighborhood crime watch groups. Thus, it is no surprise that some cellular companies donate or lend cell phones to neighborhood crime watch groups (D’Aiello).

But like every other technology, cell phones also have the potential to cause economic and social costs to the society. One example is education where many educators now complain about the widespread use of cell phone as a cheating tool. Cell phones also cause lack of attention in the classes when students engage in SMS and internet browsing on their cell phones to pass time. Similarly, sexting has become a major concern at many schools in the nation due to the potential of huge negative consequences for the victims.

Cell phones also pose threat to the environment. A study found that after 34 recent cell phone models were put through a standard EPA test that stimulated conditions inside a landfill, all of them had the amount of lead which was more than 17 times the federal threshold for what constitutes hazardous waste. Cell phones components contain various toxic materials including lead, nickel, beryllium, mercury, cadmium (older models), and brominated flame retardents (Pasternack, 2009).

Cell phones may also cause certain problems in teenagers. Studies have shown that teenagers who use the cell phone the most are more likely to be anxious and depressed. Similarly, teenagers who use cell phones are also more likely to wake up at night to respond to incoming calls and texts and as a result, tired and less focused during the day. Cell phones have also become a widespread bullying tool at schools and are used to spread rumors as well as harass victims (Education).

Cell phones’ role in distracted driving must be a common knowledge in America yet unfortunately, many drivers continue to underestimate the risk of using cell phone while driving. Driving while distracted is responsible for 25 percent of police reported crashes (Nationwide). Similarly, an analysis of Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), which records data on all road fatalities on public roads in the U.S, showed that fatalities declined from 1999 to 2005 but the trend reversed after that. Fatalities from distracted driving rose from 4,572 in 2005 to 5,870 in 2008, recording an overall increase of 28% over the period and the analysis also revealed that crashes increasingly involved male drivers colliding with roadside obstructions in urban areas. The authors of the study estimated that from 2001 to 2007, more than 16,000 additional road fatalities were due to increased texting volumes (Wilson & Stimpson, 2010). Approximately 1 in 6 fatal vehicle collisions resulted from a driver being distracted while driving in 2008.

Studies using a naturalistic methodology suggested that drivers who text while driving are 23 times more likely to crash. In 2009, distracted driving led to an estimated 5,500 fatalities and nearly 450,000 injuries (Ban texting while driving, 2011). According to John Townsend, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic, “All it takes to cause an accident is to be distracted for as little as three seconds.” A study from the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis puts the annual financial toll of cell phone related crashes at $43 billion (Boyter).

There is a reason why many private companies have enforced ban on cell phone use while driving and even influential figures have responded to the crisis. UPS and Verizon Communications, Inc. have a zero tolerance policy on using cell phones and other hand held devices while driving. Oprah Winfrey has partnered with the Governors Highway Safety Association on an awareness campaign called “No Phone Zone” which aims to persuade drivers to discontinue cell phone use while driving (Casale, 2010). Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood informed the audience at a National Distracted Driving Summit that nearly 1,600 companies and groups with about 10.5 million employees have distracted driving policies in place and an additional 550 entities with 1.5 million employees are expected to do so within a year (Kirby, 2010). Even President Obama signed an executive order in October 2009 that among other things directed federal employees not to engage in text messaging while driving government-owned vehicles (‘No texting while driving,’ Obama tells federal staff, as more states outlaw texting for all drivers, 2009).

Some scientists also fear that cell phone use may increase the occurrence of brain tumors in children and adolescents. They have criticized the study designs that showed no link between cell phone use and cancer. One of the critics, the Environmental Health Trust claims that the studies such as the one published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute prove on the contrary that cell phone use actually doubles the risk of brain cancer instead of having no impact (Gann, 2012).

Cell phone is indeed a revolutionary technology that has impacted almost every aspect of our daily lives but its misuse could also cost dearly to the society. One of the keys to maximizing the benefits of any technology such as cell phone is education. Both adults and children should be educated on the benefits and costs of cell phone use so they become more responsible user as well as productive members of the society. Cell phone use will continue to increase and remain an important part of our lives for the foreseeable future. Thus, we should adopt healthy habits because our actions do not only affect us but may also have consequences for the society.

References

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Kirby, P. (2010, October). At Summit, LaHood, Others Cite Progress, Challenges In Combating Driver Distractions Such as Texting. Telecommunications Reports, pp. 3-5.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. (n.d.). Statistics. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=2810

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