The mobile phone is a fantastic invention, and perhaps the most influential of the creations that emerged in the 20th century. Although the first examples were extremely basic devices, they set the foundation for the modern smartphone, which has characterised generations. The utility that we receive from smartphones is so great that you will scarce see someone who owns one leave the house without it. In a sense, the smartphone has become an extension of ourselves and is the symbol of the 21st century. No one will deny just how much we rely on smartphones to live our daily lives, but just how much have they transformed life?
Perhaps the clearest way to see how phones have changed our lives forever is by looking at how they have given us the ability to stay connected. Before phones were created, mail and radio were the main forms of communicating with others. However, there were clear limitations to this in that they were not efficient means of communication as radio could be temperamental and mail took long to reach the intended recipient, if it did at all. Mobile phones allowed people to call and text each other, no matter where they were which had an enormous impact on the world becoming smaller. Social media also has a role to play in this as it allowed strangers to connect.
Staying connected is perhaps the main advantage of owning a mobile phone, which is why most people own one. However, another great way that phones have changed our lives is the fact that they act as a massive store of information. Time was that if someone wanted to know something, they would have to hope someone else knew it, or log on to their desktop or laptop and search for it. With a mobile phone, this process becomes almost instantaneous. As the internet is accessible from most smartphones, people only need to pull out their phones and type their queries to get an answer to their questions. On some phones, people can even speak their questions into the phone and receive a spoken answer, highlighting just how important phones are for learning new information.
The ways in which phones have transformed our lives seem listless, and each one is incredibly important. For example, they have also become great utility devices, making much of the stuff that was traditionally taught in school redundant. This can be seen best through mathematics. Though some core concepts need to be taught, the reality is that phones are capable of doing both standard and complex equations.
Then there is the role of mobile phones in entertainment. Traditionally, people were limited with their entertainment options, with television and the cinema being two favourite candidates. With a smartphone, people can access a range of entertainment by streaming shows, playing games or even participating in gambling by downloading apps, though some other options exist online for those who prefer websites.
It should be clear that phones have had an incredible impact on lives, and it is unfeasible that they will ever go away anytime soon.
