The emergence of the cell phone has brought many things to the American population. Before it was created there were a lot less communication between people. Communication has ultimately evolved between families, friends, large corporations, schools and more. Because of the rise in mobile phones, people are able to communicate on a much broader level. Since the age of cell phone use, it is clear that we are a much more technologically advanced. People are much more reliant on it since it is a readily available tool. People are able to talk while they travel instead of receiving calls only when they are home or at their business. I remember leaving my house before I had a cell phone and coming home to phone calls. Recently I have felt lost if I had left my cell phone at home because I knew that I couldn’t contact anyone whenever I felt like it. Now that the cell phone has transformed into a multitasking piece of technology, there are more possibilities that we didn’t have until now. The mobile phone now has Internet, text messaging as well as acting as an on-the-go phone. It is an essential gadget that accompanies our everyday life.
Ultimately cell phones have become the main staple in our daily lives. We never go anywhere without them and feel lost if we do not have them. This may contribute towards the riding popularity of the mobile phone. Its convenience, style and mobility are just a few factors that have made the cell phone so profitable. Throughout the years, distributors have taken the initiative to take the phone that goes mobile and transform it into something better and better. Initially the cell phone was just a tool to make and receive calls on the go; now the Internet is added as well as games and E-Mail. There are varieties of these combinations such as the Blackberry, iPhone, Google Phone, and now the Droid, which is a form of the iPhone but distributed by Verizon. Another feature that has become popular among the cell phone craze is the touch screen and flip open keyboard; these features have all helped generate revenue. People are constantly trying to keep up with the latest gadgets; therefore when new devices come out with modern features it is appealing to buyers.
Companies such as Verizon Wireless have come a long way since the emergence of this technology. According to Verizon Reports Revenue, Verizon Wireless delivered increasingly high margins and concrete net customer additions. In the second quarter of 2009, Verizon Wireless had 87.7 million customers at the end of the quarter, an increase of 27.7 percent year over year and 7.9 percent on a professional forma foundation. Verizon Wireless is the leading wireless company in the United States in regards of total customers and revenues. The company also has the most retail customers of any United States wireless supplier and have sustained its premium foundation, adding a net of 1.1 million retail customers in the quarter, for a total of 85.2 million retail customers. Regarding their consolidated earnings, they are receiving 52 cents in EPS and 63 cent in adjusted EPT (non-GAAP), compared with 2Q 2008 EPS of 66 cents and 67 cents. They also lead the nation in cost efficiency making them the most desirable distributor for low-income families. In the economy today, there are many things that individuals are seeking to save money on.
Other companies such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Alltel, Sprint and Nextel are competitive to Verizon. All companies team up with providers such as Motorola, Samsung and LG to assemble an eclectic quantity of cell phone. To generate the best profit, each company must advertise their products in the best way possible in order to attract their customers. Often time commercials show their product side-by-side competitors, shining the best light on themselves. This has become a popular tool for mobile phone providers in order to get themselves ahead. Since there are a group of distributors they must be super conscientious when advertising to lure in as many customers as they can. Many companies are seeking to appear to have a straight forward objective approach when advertising their product.
Not only are competing companies affected by each other, it seems to me that the ‘at home’ telephone has become slightly ignored. For generations long before the mobile phone, it has been our means of communication. We never had a more efficient way to contact people because before the telephone, the telegraph was too complicated to figure out. Now that we have found a more advanced way to communicate with other- a more on-the-go communication gadget it has ultimately become our more preferred means of telecommunication thus far. Some people nowadays don’t even own a house phone “telephone” because their mobile phone has completely taken the place of it seeing that it can act as a telephone at home and as a handy phone when out and about. The mobile phone acts as a more handy piece of technology, all in all it is simply a miniature computer. A miniature on the go computer has completely replaced the telephone and why not?
Since technology has seemingly become more advanced each year we are coming up with contemporary products that will replace the old. This has become a trend over the years in which I predict will not be subsiding any time soon. We are a very fast track society who is significantly interested in what is new and what is in. We are no longer interested in chunky brick car phones with antennas growing like a beanstalk over our heads. Sleek Blackberry’s with full keyboards and shiny iPhones with a touch screen front now turn our heads. We live in a fast pace society where communication is an innate thing. Talking our cell phones is like riding a bicicyle; it has come almost natural to us. At home, in restaurants, clothing stores, schools and at work, we are constantly on our mobile device and we aren’t stopping. Evidently, cell phones have made us somewhat anti-social individuals. Some of its major issues involve “too much mobile” whether it’s in a social environment or in a car- there could be too much which becomes a problem for our society. Whether it is detrimental to our health (talking or texting while driving) or to our social life; the cell phone is somewhat of interference in our lives today. Also in schooling settings, cell phones have become a major issue with teachers. Kids are constantly on their cell phones in the hallways, classrooms or during gym class and it is becoming extremely distracting. Teachers are banning them from their classrooms so that students are not tempted to take them out and use them in the middle of their class.
Clearly mobile phones have completely taken over society. Our world is a completely different fast-track society with new innovations each and every year.
http://www.bepress.com/bejeap/advances/vol6/iss1/art9/
http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/forums/cell_phone_culture.htm
