“Mobile phone is the single most transformative technology for development.”
-Prof. Jefrey Sachs, the Director of Earth Institute, Columbia University
Communication is an indispensable part of living.Technology on the other hand made it more accessible and available by producing a tangible device—the mobile phone. The mobile phone evolved from merely a communication piece to a camera, music player, alarmclock, pocket computer, and web browser all at the same time. Mobile phones make the digital divide look like digital multiplication. According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2007 survey, 58.8% of Filipinos are mobile phone subscribers. Factoring out the small children and extremely aged, that leaves out almost every adult and teenager having at least 1 cell phone. Wherever I go, I see people using cell phones; inside the jeep, on the bus, walking at the mall, park. Practically everywhere. Heck, they even use it inside the CR. They hold it first thing in the morning, even before their toothbrush. Some surveys also suggest that young people would rather be deprived of television and radio rather than their mobile phones. New kinds of social interactions that were, hitherto, impossible are now possible due to texting. A level of communication that was the property of the Western elite 25 years ago evolved and taken a foothold (stranglehold, actually) in every country, especially in ours.
I myself cannot view a world now without the cell phone. We have become so dependent on it that many of our daily activities revolve around it. When it was first introduced in the US, cell phones were rare, bulky and expensive, about $2,000 per unit. Two and a half decades later, everybody has it. Not only one, but maybe 2 or more! It comes in all shapes and sizes. From cute streamlined gadgets to wafer thin sizes. The units also became very cheap, a lot of 2nd hand phones allow a common laborer the use of the more advanced models. Reloading stations and repair stalls are appearing left and right and have become the primary source of income of the “sari sari store sa kanto.”
I may be overestimating the functional impact of cell phones but who can tell what will happen in the future? Maybe I’m still underestimating it. The next step might be video phones that are as cheap as text. Instead of texting, maybe you’ll just call and see your husband at work in the office or see your wife buying stuff for you at the mall. A few years from now, you may even not need to go to the mall or grocery. Your in-house system can detect all your low supplies and needs, and log into the internet to buy them for you. I was amazed by the new Samsung ref that is connected to the internet. It actually detects if you don’t have stuff in your ref anymore like eggs. It will automatically buy from a local grocery store and have it delivered on your doorstep – without you even knowing that you are low on eggs.
The future of cell phones promises many things, but I am worried of the unstated negative impacts of this new technology. Radiation during cell phone usage was a craze during the early years but was proved unfounded since the amount of radiation emitted by the phone is much lower than the standards set by the FAA for human tolerance. Cell phones have also been implicated for the cause of numerous accidents. People can’t seem to accept that cell phones and driving do not mix well. But all technology is only as good as the person using it. Cell phones are revolutionizing our social structure and inexorably influence the way we do business. I believe that cell phones and broadband Internet connection are the most important factors that drive our economy today. And in the future, cell phones may be all that we need to transact businesses or pay for goods and services. G-cash of Globe and Smart Money, for example, has been gaining popularity. Launched in 2004, G-Cash has about 500,000 users then and have been transferring about US$ 100 million a month.3 In the future, cell phones can be used for NFC (Near Field Communication) transactions. Similar to the expressway tollways, cell phones can just be waved around near the sensors at the cashier for non-contact purchases of goods or services. Potentials for mobile payment and banking are high and I don’t see the use of that ubiquitous cell phone stopping there.
Admittedly, brand new cell phones are still expensive for the lower Filipino class but surprisingly these low-income, first-time buyers are demonstrating their willingness to purchase and use mobile phones! Since practically everybody owns or use a mobile phone, the potential market for sales or advertising is within easy reach. Furthermore, texting can be used to reinforce a sense of community by engaging people to interact on issues that affect their everyday lives. Even my 6 yr old son owns a phone and can use it for texting and calling. He even learned to text using his phone before he learned to write. I don’t really see it as pampering since he only uses it to communicate with me and his mom even when we are at work. This is a classic example of the digital divide being bridged by the mobile phone. Everybody and practically anybody in the world is just a text away. Cultural, political and geographical and age boundaries become meaningless with mobile phones. The challenge is not only to use it effectively but morally and responsibly as well.
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