Cellphone Technology
The economic impact of cellphone technologies: Ever since mobile devices like cell phones have come on the market, they have made a "direct contribution" to economic growth (Lum, 2011). For one thing, they lower the costs of communication and this is particularly important in developing countries. By making communication between buyers, sellers, and producers of goods more efficient, the economic benefits of cellphones are significant. Cellphone technologies can actually "stimulate the economy" because they create demand for more "mobile-based services," which in turn means people are being hired for new jobs (Lum, p. 1). Mobile devices like cellphones also bring down transaction costs and "broaden markets" -- another way in which they help economies.
When it comes to smartphones and the data they require, which allows the cellphone user to access the Internet, there is a "…strong relationship between usage of mobile data per each 3G connection and economic growth," according to a study conducted by Cisco, GSMA and Deloitte. For example, a doubling of mobile data use leads to "…an increase in the GDP per capita growth rate of 0.5 percentage points" (GSMA). Moreover, cellphones do contribute to the "overall economy in developing nations" and wireless cellphone advances "…are now the...
The reason for the concern is that mobile phones have substances in them that are potentially harmful to the environment. Among those substances are mercury, lead and cadmium, and also some older phones have "brominated flame retardants" in the circuit boards and the casings of cellphones (Kinver). When mercury and lead are released into the environment, Kinver writes, the impact can be devastating; and when cellphones are dumped in a landfill illegally, this leads to a possibility of "toxic substances seeping into the soil and groundwater" (Kinver, p. 2).
The impact of cellphones on relationships: An article in CNN reports that people who "engaged in personal discussions when a cellphone was nearby -- even if neither was actually using it -- reported lower relationship quality and less trust for their partner" (Kerner, 2013). People who check their cellphones often for emails and texts -- and who receive a "sense of instant gratification" -- can be harming their intimate relationships (Kerner).
"Smartphones, tablets…
