impact of cell phones

Shoshana Ghatan

Professor Esposito

Capstones 2

01 July 2008

Technology has changed the world faster than many of us could have imagined , and is continuing to change the world . Henry Adams envisioned the change technology would have on the world on his trip to the Paris Exposition . In his autobiography , The Education of Henry Adams , Adams writes about his trip to the Paris Exposition and everything he observed . He sees the dynamo , a machine that produced electricity , which Adams described as powerful , significant , and profound . He did not fully

understand the power of the dynamo , but he felt that the unleashing of the power would change the future for mankind . He compares the dynamo to Christianity just as Christian ideas changed the world and the way people viewed it , so to technology , as symbolized by the dynamo , would change the world

One such technological advance that has had a major impact on the world is the invention of cell phones . Since its invention in 1973 , the cell phone has developed into a ubiquitous part of our society . It has become the proverbial fifth limb ' - an unavoidable , and highly necessary attachment to almost everyone 's body . In fact , the cell phone has impacted all tiers of society in both positive and negative ways . It has changed the way individuals relate to themselves , to their immediate surroundings , and to the world at large

Cell phones give individuals a sense of security . People feel safer knowing that in case of an emergency they have the ability to contact help . Individuals are able to call for help when they see traffic accidents , a crime in progress , or when they need assistance when their car breaks down . In fact , ninety percent of cell phone users surveyed reported that owning cell phones made them feel safer (Hanson ,11

The security benefits of cell phones are not purely psychological , The 2005 E911 law requires all cell phones to come equipped with global positioning tracking software . This helps 911 easily locate accident scenes . If someone has an emergency and do not know where they are , the police are able to easily locate them using the built-in cell phone GPS system and come to their assistance (Smith

Federal regulators approved of a plan to use text messages to create a nationwide emergency alert system . Now the federal communication commission can alert the public about emergencies accurately and promptly through cell phones . The plan outlines three types of text messages . The first one will be alerts from the president about terrorist attacks or other threats to United States safety . The second will be imminent threats ' including natural disasters , and shooting The third will be for child abductions . They are hoping that this service will be in effect by 2010 . Because the uncertainty surrounding disasters is often more disturbing than the actual disaster , this system will give people a greater sense of security . Americans will feel more secure in general because they will know that they will find out about...