Future of Mobile Devices

Computer Literacy INF 103
Christopher Newcomb
November 28th, 2011

The Future of Mobile Devices In just a few short years Mobile Devices have come a long way. From the early days of pagers and car phones the size of bricks, to today with smart phones that do everything from make phone calls to text and web surfing, and hand held tablets and computers that allow us to do just about anything we need to do electronically.. Literally everyday something new comes out that is smarter, faster and better than the device before it. The future of mobile devices is limitless. There is no telling what all will come with the future. If someone can think it up, there is a great possibility that it can be accomplished.

With anything new there are pros and cons to consider. At face value the technology looks great. Like there can not possibly be anything that isn't wrong with it. However, in my line of work of waiting tables, I see a glaring con for the future of mobile devices. Where once I would see a table with a family of four sitting, and enjoying a night out, now all I see is four people all on seperate mobile devices completely ignoring everyone around them. Mobile technology has a way of making things less personable, less personal. From texting people rather than then calling them. Emailing, instead of sneding a written letter or card, to talking to people on facebook or Instant messaging instead of going out and meeting people and talking face to face. This family of four that would once sit and talk to each other and joke and have a good time at a restaurant, now just sits and becomes so involved with what they are doing, whether it be emailing, texting, surfing the web, or playing games. To some families the family night out is now dead. Don't get me wrong, just like everyone else I am guilty of the technology distance. Sometime while in the same room with my boyfriend, instead of actually talking to each other we will sit and text to each other. We have had fights and arguments via text messaging. While some would see this as just a different way to communicate, and I once said this was another form of communication, I now see it as an impersonal way to talk to someone. Again, I don't want to seem like a negative nancy, I also see the advantages of the ever evolving technologies. The more convient ways to live our lives from the palm of our hand. I sue these new technologies everyday, however, I try not to forget that we all have lived life without the devices, and how we used to manage to get by without it all.

The future of mobile technology is limitless. More and more people get on board everyday to this phenomenon known as mobile technology. Nearly 1.5 billion people use cell phones, double that from 2000.* With many more mobile companies introducing smart phones, many more people will have the ability to use all the new technology. Also with the affordability of such technologies, before too long nearly every adult will own a mobile device. Smartphones are becoming the wave of the future. Sales of smartphones are rising everyday.
The above chart shows that from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the third quarter of 2010 Smartphone sales rose 41 percent. Before we know it, a regular cell phone will be a thing of the past. In the above chart you see that smartphone sales rose 41 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the third quarter of 2010.

I see the technology as a whole as being a good thing, a positive move in the right direction. A step forward into the 21st century. However, I still do worry that it will make us more inpersonal towards one another. I feel that the pros outwiegh the cons, and that things will only get better in the future.

Reference Page
*http://futurewire.blogspot.com/2004/12/mobile-phone-users-double-since-2000.html

Chart by the Neilson Company