Literature Review - Mobiles and Their Effect on Society

Education is one aspect of society that mobiles have an effect on. Castell 2007 states that youth culture use mobile communication as a form of expression. Although Nicholson 2006 found that critics say “SMS leads to sloppiness, masks dyslexia, and essentially signals the death of the English language”. Furthermore teenagers are at threat from being bullied if they don't keep up-to-date with the latest models (McAlinden 2003). Paton 2009 believes that children are being disrupted by "technology obsession". Whereas Lauren Clark 2008 thinks children should be allowed to use mobiles in class because they help them learn.

Work-life is another aspect of society which mobile phones affect. “A profound transformation is underway in the processes of work” as mobiles enable co-workers to communicate and coordinate at a distance (Castell 2007). But Powell 2009 thinks that the use of Blackberries, as well as other mobiles, is leading to blurring of time boundaries, and people need to be aware of their work-life balance.

This brings me on to the aspect of family life. Reimer 2006 states “mobile phone use blurs the boundaries between work and home and cause stress and tension in family relationships”. While Devitt and Roker’s 2006 report ‘The Role of Mobile Phones in Family Communication’ found parents and young people spoke positively about communication and their relationships. Also Arva-Toth 2009 states that the 'Future of Re-connectivity' report uncovered emergence of 'Digital Families', which found 53% of us use cameras to communicate better with our families.

Development of societies has been encouraged through the use of mobile phones. But there is a wide digital divide between developed and developing countries (Hodgson 2007). Tryhorn 2009 found that as developing countries adopt new communications technologies more than half the worlds population now pay to use mobile phones and nearly a quarter uses the internet. Mobiles are compensating for “inadequate infrastructure, such as bad roads and slow postal services, allowing information to move more freely, making markets more efficient and unleashing entrepreneurship” (The Economist 2009). However, some people argue the digital divide has occurred because of inequality. “What people in the developing world really need are water, food, jobs, decent healthcare and sanitation” (Witchalls 2005).

Mobile phones are affecting natural environments. They contain a range of substances that are harmful to the environment, if not disposed of correctly (Kinver 2006). Additionally it has been alleged that radiation from mobile phones interferes with bees' navigation systems, preventing them from finding their way back the their hives (Lean and Shawcross 2007). As we need bees to pollinate our crops to make them grow, this could lead to food shortages. Pasternack 2009 from treehugger.com says “mobile phones are helping to expand environmental awareness, reduce inefficiencies and find solutions”.

Finally one of the largest argued aspects of mobile phones and their impact on society is health issues. Cox 2002 believes that “mobiles provide an interesting example of a source of risk to health which may be largely non-existent but which cannot be totally dismissed”. The Department of Health 2006 states “the balance of current research suggests that exposures to radio waves below levels set out in international guidelines do not cause health problems for the general population. However, there is some evidence that changes in brain activity can occur below these guidelines, but it isn't clear why. There are significant gaps in our scientific knowledge”.