Mobile phones are extremely helpful tools for communicating with others through texting & email, calling, video calling, and using social media. In addition, they have multiple other uses including music & video playback, maps, calculators, cameras & more!
Every technology comes with both positive and negative implications; how we use our phones depends solely on ourselves. Let’s explore both their positive and negative uses in detail. Let’s begin with mobile phones.
Communication
Mobile phones have become an indispensable device. Being small in size and light in weight, these portable phones consume minimal power consumption and are used by students of all levels, doctors, engineers, servicemen, and jobbers in their daily activities.
Cellular phones provide people with instantaneous communications. They’re used for texting, calling, video calling, and sending pictures/videos instantly. Cell phones come equipped with cameras featuring wide-angle lenses as well as telephoto lenses; most models also feature touch screens and support accessories like Bluetooth headphones.
Alarms & Reminders
Smartphones enable users to set alarms and reminders for important events like doctor appointments or birthday parties, while also featuring stopwatch functions that can come in handy for cooking or any activity that requires timing or counting down.
Majorities of mobile phone users across 11 countries surveyed tend to view their phones positively both personally and societally; though in Jordan and Lebanon, fewer than half believe they help earn a living through them.
Entertainment
Modern mobile phones provide similar facilities as computers and can be used for many functions such as dialing numbers, talking on the phone, sending texts & emails, taking pictures & surfing the internet, etc. Many people also use them for entertainment such as listening to music videos/movies & playing games on them.
Mobile phone cameras have become popular as tools for photography. Some even use them to play video games despite limited screen sizes and controls; moreover, mobile phone cameras provide an effective way of staying organized by keeping track of appointments and reminders.
Documentation
As mobile phones provide easier communication, support healthy work-life balance, reduce vicarious trauma, and provide quicker response times than traditional methods like writing and mailing, mobile phones are an invaluable asset to programs and staff members alike. Program-issued devices may come equipped with passcode protection as well as antivirus/antimalware apps required by policy and remote wiping capabilities, providing greater protection than writing or mailing alone.
Navigation
Mobile phones provide users with a quick and efficient way to manage everyday tasks like keeping track of appointments, saving passwords, and recording important events. Furthermore, these phones enable users to use built-in note applications for writing notes or documents.
A large majority across most of the 11 countries surveyed agree that mobile phones help them keep in contact with family and friends living far away, but parents express worry that children could be exposed to harmful or immoral content through this medium.
Video Calling
Modern mobile phones boast built-in front and back cameras to facilitate video chatting between family and friends living far apart, which is especially helpful when distance is an obstacle to communication.
Mobile phones provide many advantages to employee productivity; however, they can also have detrimental effects. Their constant availability can interfere with workflow and compromise work-life balance; additionally, they may cause distraction while driving which could cause accidents or injuries – it is therefore vital that companies implement clear phone usage policies within the workplace.
Video Recording
Mobile phones resemble computers in that they contain a screen, keyboard, and operating system. You can use your mobile to access the internet, play games, and download various applications such as email client software or chat client.
Modern smartphones contain cameras capable of taking still photos and video recordings, as well as taking notes in meetings. To improve the quality of your videos, move closer to the subject matter while using a microphone such as NC State Libraries’ Royal Voice Lavalier which works with most smartphone models.
Social Media
Many consumers use mobile phones to interact with friends and brands through social media channels like TikTok and Instagram, providing easy access to short, attention-grabbing content in a format that’s portable and convenient.
Majorities across most countries report their mobile phone is vital for staying in contact with family and friends who live far away, while significant shares say their devices waste time in Venezuela, Colombia, South Africa, Tunisia, or even elsewhere in Africa. Yet large majorities of mobile phone users in every one of the 11 surveyed countries say they simply couldn’t live without it.
Health & Wellness
Smartphones can be helpful tools in many ways; however, they can also be detrimental to health and well-being. There are now apps that assist users in developing healthy habits such as tracking workouts, setting goals, etc.
Majorities across all eleven countries surveyed were mostly positive towards mobile phones for their personal lives; however, in Lebanon, Jordan, and Tunisia significant shares reported negative impacts on social relations, morality, and physical health. At focus groups held to discuss smartphone addiction, some people voiced concerns over excessive screen time leading to social distancing and isolation.
Security
Mobile authentication features typically use passwords, PINs, and passcodes to protect data stored on a mobile device. Some smartphones also include remote wiping features for this purpose should their device become lost or stolen.
Business mobile phones enable employees to remain in constant communication with critical work functions while away from their desks, such as accessing email, unified communications mobile apps, and custom business applications.
Mobile phones make possible telemedicine, an online healthcare consulting service offering expert medical advice or treatments at home. Telemedicine can be particularly useful for treating chronic illnesses and patients too sick to visit a physician themselves in person.
