Can I Put You on Hold?

Maryville University of St. Louis
Dr. John Marino

Mobile phones have become a staple of society, with everyone from elementary school kids to senior citizens owning one. The technology of today provides us with a unique opportunity to examine how new media both reflect and affect the social world. A new social landscape has been reflected due to the creation and implementation of these devices into our daily lives. Most people today leave their house in the morning with their cup of coffee in one hand and their keys and cell phone in the other hand. Ever since the cell phone was invented, it has had a direct impact on society. Some effects have been good, and others have been bad. Anyone who has a cell phone has it on his or her person almost all of the time. Cell phones have decreased our intrapersonal connections. We are connected all the time, every day, every hour allowing no separation from technology. It is uncertain where the development of cell phones will take one in the future, eventually they may lead to the total elimination of connectedness. Due to modern cell phones, the line between one’s work and personal life has been eradicated because our phones allow us to be connected all the time, creating the misconception of communication where we think we are connected but really we are not. Many of the early cell phones were “car phones” because they were too large and cumbersome to carry around in a pocket or in your purse. The phone at its beginning was very expensive and became a pop culture symbol showing up on Saved by the Bell and in the movie Wall Street. The ongoing advancement of high-performance, low-power semiconductor components has made the cell phone the most widely used communication technology in human history. The first cell phones were created just for talking. Gradually things such as voicemail were added, but the purpose was still that of communication. When cell phone manufacturers realized that other features could be integrated into the cell phones, the cell phone changed forever. The smartphone evolved, with the very first ones providing access to email, address book, pager, and the ability to use your phone as a fax machine. In the most recent years the purpose of the cell phone has shifted. (The History and Evolution of Cell Phones parp 1, 2, 6, 7).
The phone made a shift from a verbal communication tool to a multimedia tool, even the name switched from being called a mobile phone to a mobile device. We use cell phones today to surf the web, check email, snap photos, and update social media statuses rather than make phone calls. The cell phones of today are replacing other gadgets as well, such as cameras and video cameras. People today carry around their cell phones rather than their point-and-shoot cameras or bulky video cameras. Modern day smartphones have completely changed the expectations that consumers have of their mobile devices. The mobile phone has been transformed into a virtual toolbox with a solution for almost every need. The shape of the cell phone has changed. The original car and bag phones were as large, heavy, and bulky as a modern day computer. Imagine carrying that around with you everywhere! The cell phones today are growing in size again, to allow a larger user interface, but are also becoming simpler. (The History and Evolution of Cell Phones 8, 10, 16).
The cell phone has already made so much progress. How much further will they take it? Researchers say that they expect the regular cell phone to disappear completely within a few years. One researcher says that he believes cell phones will begin to appeal more to our emotional senses in the future and take over the market as a whole. He says that he also believes that cell phones will become more naturally in sync with our biological reflexes and processes such as eye movement, thought processes, kinesthetic, and cultural preferences. The