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Keilah Long
Professor Rhoda Lukens
UWRT 1101
28 October 2014
Impact of Cell Phones
OMG BFF CYA L8R LOL! This is just a short example of the common text talk used
on cell phones today. Cell phones have begun to engulf the world one hand at a time. Today
everyone is in frenzy over the new iPhone 6, while no one had even heard of a cell phone before
the early 1980s. Cell phones are used everyday by people all across the world to communicate
with others in many different ways. After the dawn of cellular phones, the norm of society has
changed from its arrival to well into the future.
A Motorola employee named Martin Cooper created cell phones in 1983. The first cell
phone was a DynaTAC 8000, weighing in at 2 pounds and costing $3,995. The DynaTAC 8000
had to be charged for 10 hours to complete a 30-minute conversation. Due to its price tag, this
phone was mainly used for business and not pleasure. Cooper believed that there'll be heavy
usage by a widely diverse group of people - businessmen, journalists, doctors, housewives,
virtually anyone who needs or wants telephone communications (Motorola Inc.). Coopers
vision for future cell phones would become a present reality with modern day cell phones.
Cell phones have developed overtime and revolutionized the way we are able to
communicate with one another. First it was just conversing over the phone, then phones began to
add voicemail, email, pager system, and address books. Phones then started adding Internet
services, cameras, games, and music. Now the convergence of mobile phone technology with
other technologies such as camera and Internet is causing a shift in the communication culture by

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making the societies more mobile, dynamic, and functional from anywhere and at anytime
(Gupta). Smartphones have changed the game and made many objects, like clocks, stopwatches,
calendars, maps, and phonebooks, obsolete.
With the new versatile phone came a more improved way to communicate with one
another. Text messaging combined conversation and mail to make a simple, faster, and
recordable way to communicate with others. Texting has also changed the language we use to
talk to each other. Smartphone users began to use abbreviations like lol for laughing out loud
and omg for oh my god. With modern day smartphones the user can now send videos, pictures,
and voice message through texts. Modern cell phones allow the user to communicate with others
at any location. Phones today allow the user to call at any distance without having to purchase a
calling card. Cell phones now allow the users to call a nearby restaurant to order takeout or
contact an emergency vehicle in need. Cell phones are being given children in order to stay in
touch with their parents. Cell phones ability to talk at any location can allow the users to
communicate to love ones far away. With constant communication through cell phones it is
easier to seek help if lost or in danger.
Most smartphones are equipped to have a flashlight, compass, and global positioning
system. Cell phones positive impact is very handy in more ways that we may realize. Phones
can be used to set reminders for the future to complete a task at a specific time. Phones have so
many versatile applications that cover almost every need that a phone can complete. With the
many applications and features that phones provide, multitasking is made easy. Phone users are
able to cook dinner and have a conference call at the same time. Cell phone users are also able to
have a video conversation through modern phones. Cell phones have made it very convenient for
its users to complete tasks.

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Cell phones have also positively impacted our connection to the world around us. Cell
phones not only allow communication with others but also add access to the news around us.
Most news stations either have applications or websites where their news can be accessed. With
modern day cell phones the news can be accessed to allow the user to hear up to date news. The
user can stay connected with approaching dangers or unfolding cases. Cell phones also have
features to alert when there are weather advisories or child abductions to further inform the users.
With all the impressive features that cell phones possess, one would assume that cell
phones are little computers. Cell phones are equip to complete a number of tasks that are
equivalent to a desktop computers operations. In addition to the previously listed features, cell
phones can also be used to edit documents, play games, and playback music. Cell phones are
taking over not only the world but also the electronic market. Theoretically, cell phones are a
single tool that fits in your pocket and can do pretty much anything you need it to, making life
easier and offering convenient solutions for problems you may encounter (Storm).
With all the many positive features and benefits of cell phones, one could question if
there is a downside to cell phones. The modern use of cell phones cause a noticeable shift in the
way our society functions. Text messages are swiftly replacing face-to-face interactions and even
phone calls, affecting our social development and our ability to relate to others (Storm). Cell
phones have severely impacted the way users communicate with one another. A vast amount of
users choose to use their phone rather than try to communicate in person. Cell phone users are
mainly on their phones rather than attempting to communicate with the people physically around
them. This shift is making cell phone users less linked to the physical world around them.
Cell phones have a correlation to a decrease in punctuality. Cell phone users notably rely
on the phone to wake them up, alert appointments, and notify meetings. With cell phones being

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heavily trusted, it has aided a sense of tardiness. With cell phones frequently being inoperative
due to the battery pack, connectivity, or dislocation, users typically say the alarm did not wake
them up or seek to reschedule meetings. These users seem to have adopted the attitude that
appointment times are not concrete and use their cell phones to renegotiate their arrival time
(Stewart).
With all the features cell phones provide, the users have an issue with disconnecting at
times. Some users, mainly students, use their phones during class and cause a disruption. Cell
phone users are so addicted to their mobile device that they cannot put it down for less than 90
minutes without picking it back up. Most teachers in secondary schools and some postsecondary
institutions have policies for cell phone use in class. Cell phones in the educational setting seem
to have more of a negative impact than positive.
Cell phones have also been the center of many driving related issues. Detailed accounts
of users talking or texting while driving are the cause of many car accidents. The Virginia Tech
Research Institute concluded that
In the institutes studies that included light vehicle drivers and truck drivers, manual
manipulation of phones such as dialing and texting of the cell phone lead to a substantial
increase in the risk of being involved in a safety-critical event such as a crash or nearcrash. However, talking or listening increased risk much less for light vehicles and not at
all for trucks. Text messaging on a cell phone was associated with the highest risk of all
cell phone related tasks (Box).
Cell phone usage seems to act very negatively on the society while operating a motor vehicle.
Cell phones are a wonderful invention that benefits people worldwide when they
are used in the right setting at the right time. The negative impact of cell phone use outweighs

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the positive impact in cases that matter the most. The ability for a cell phone user to launch a
phone message signifying that they are in distress is a positive impact. However, when the
negative impact is failing to see a stopped school bus, pedestrian, or upcoming vehicular turn
because of cell phone usage, the positive impact is never a comparison to the negative impact in
any society. With both pros and cons in a society, a proper balance must exist with cell phone
use.

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Works Cited
Box, Sherri. "New Data from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Provides Insight into Cell
Phone Use and Driving Distraction." Virginia Tech News. Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University, 29 July 2009. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2009/07/2009-571.html>.
Gupta, Gireesh. "Mobile Phones Revolutionizing the Global Culture." Gaston Gazette. Halifax
Media Group, 02 Mar. 2014. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.gastongazette.com/news/business/mobile-phones-revolutionizing-theglobal-culture-1.285211>.
Motorola Inc. Communications. Motorola Demonstrates Portable Telephone. Motorola
Solutions. Motorola Inc., 3 Apr. 1973. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.motorolasolutions.com/web/Business/Corporate/US-EN/docs/historymotorola-demonstrates-portable-telephone-605kb-3.pdf>.
Stewart, Douglas. "How Cell Phones Have Changed Our Lives." New Trent Blog Enhancing
Your Mobile Experience RSS. New Trent, 15 Apr. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
<http://blog.newtrent.com/how-cell-phones-have-changed-our-lives/>.
Storm, Laurel. "How Cell Phones Have Changed the World." Science. Demand Media, n.d. Web.
23 Oct. 2014. <http://science.opposingviews.com/cell-phones-changed-world1856.html>.