When mobile phones first came into existence, they were huge brick monstrosities, impractical for any purpose other than having the cool new technology. However, over the years mobile phones have gotten smaller and smaller while still doing more things. It is now impossible to walk around and not see someone talking, texting, browsing, or gaming on their mobile device. In fact, over 90% of Americans now own cell phones. While this number is not as high in developing countries, it is growing quickly and it is no longer strange to see someone in a place India walking around with a bluetooth headset or on an iPhone. By proliferating the use of mobile phones in developing countries, we can help give people a multitude of opportunities such as connecting through talk and text and browsing the internet all in one extremely portable place. While mobile phones do not have the same power as a desktop or laptop, they are much more cost effective and give you more necessary functions than a computer does. Basically, mobile phones would eliminate the need for computers for people who can not afford it, while still allowing them to connect through the internet and other means.
There are already programs in place that utilize mobile phones in this manner, such as the M-PESA system in Kenya, which is basically like a mobile bank that allows you to save money, send it to family and friends who may not live with you, or even invest. Programs like this help families stay connected even when separated by the need to find work, and allow people to support their families. It clearly is a very popular program in Kenya, as over four million accounts were opened in its first two years almost as many as in regular banks. It allows you to control your account at the touch of a finger rather than walking to the nearest bank, which could be miles away. These programs can be extremely effective, but people need mobile phones to access them, and there a still a large number of people in developing countries who do not have them. I think there needs to be a greater emphasis on providing cheap, simple mobile phones to the developing world. These people do not need the latest technology, but just having the ability to talk, text, and browse the internet will allow them to connect with people they could not before and become more educated about the world. Mobile phones will probably come to be the defining technology of our generation, as they continue to do more and more things, while still remaining portable, and it is imperative that we do our best to help people in developing countries get them.
Get post. The only part I’d question is when you say that the cell phone is the defining technology of our generation. At the current pace of technological development, I would argue that it is near impossible to peg a single technology as being ultimately defining for millions within a 15 to 20 year span. The next two decades could see the development of a machine or device that completely transforms human and global interactions even more so than the cell phone. Even if you could peg one technology as being ultimately defining, I would argue that the invention of the Internet is more defining than mobile phones. The Internet has all the capabilities as cell phones, and many more.
ReplyDeleteThis blog post accurately depicts how technology is ever changing. Those brick phones that once existed are now smaller and smarter. These new phones now have the capacity and power to change the lives of millions of people in the developing world as mobile phones are becoming cheaper and cheaper. You used a good reference regarding mobile banking and how its current effects can be seen to be beneficial. There was nothing I disagreed with. You argued for the benefits of increased mobile phone usage while acknowledging the cost aspects, that it is becoming cheaper. I feel in a world where we are quick to see the benefits we often ignore the cost associated with it and you gave the cost aspect justice.
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