Mobile Madness

An interesting article that corresponded to the topics in our MCM 102 course is one that I found on the BBC news website. It is entitled Camera Phones are “must haves”, and it discusses the recent craze for camera phones. It compares camera qualities of different regions of the world, as well as a comparison of past and present phones. They also discuss how an art show will be held to view photographs taken on camera phones. The article even talks briefly about the ethical issues concerning camera phones, including their misuse. This article relates to the course in that it could be applied to many of the shared characteristics of an information revolution mentioned by Irving Fang. The cell phone itself, and in particular the camera phones could be considered a part of the Information Highway, the most recent Information Revolution.
One of the characteristics of an information revolution is that the new medium created replaces the older mass medium used. In this case, the cellular phone has replaced not one, but several mass media, such as phone booths, letters and more recently, cameras. If one wants to write a message to someone in another country, he could SMS him. If the same person wanted to take a photograph, he/she could take out his mobile phone and snap a picture in the same instant. A person could phone someone on the other side of the world while walking in a street and going about his daily business.
Another characteristic that is seen in the evolution of mobile phones was that they occurred in a time of great social and political change. The second half of the Twentieth Century has seen great changes, in governments, in technology, in everything. Since the concept of the cellular phone was created in the late 40’s, and work began on it since, the cellular phone evolution has gone through two Information Revolutions, the Tool Shed Home Communication as well as the information Highway we are still experiencing today.
Fang also mentions that the outcome of all information revolutions is that they lead to less physical effort to reach a goal. This is evident in the Information Revolution we are experiencing today, especially in mobile phones. One does not have to get up to walk to the living room phone, or even walk to the nearest phone booth in the street to make a call, or even to the Telecommunications center to make a long distance call. I remember when my mom and I used to go to the Telecommunications Center back in the 80’s to call up my relatives in Egypt. It was a hassle and I thank God that now we have mobiles. However, this could be disadvantageous, since the lack of physical effort could be disastrous to our health.

(2004).Camera phones are 'must-haves'.Retrieved October 28, 2004 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3955063.stm

Bellis, M (ND).Selling The Cell Phone. Retrieved October 28, 2004 from http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa070899.htm