Diazia Torres

Professor Grefski
English 101
26 October 2015
Technology Effects
Have you ever thought about how the evolution of technology has affected the human race?
Every year humans take hold of the next big thing to come. Technology has affected each
generation differently. The piece of technology that is most influential to me is the cell phone. I
personally have the Iphone 6 which is manufactured by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. The
Iphone has affected my life in many of positive ways. It has applications that allow me to stay
connected to my friends and family along with other apps that condenses all my needs into one.
Along with positive effects it has also affected me in negative ways. Whenever I am on my
phone I am extremely distracted and it does not allow me to enjoy what is happening around me.
The evolution of the phone and the Iphone itself has made a huge impact on my life in various
ways.
The evolution of the telephone has changed drastically throughout the years. Alexander
Graham Bell was the inventor of the first telephone.Popular from the 1890s to the 1930s, the
candlestick phone was separated into two pieces. The mouthpiece formed the candlestick part,
and the receiver was placed by your ear during the phone call. This style died out in the 30s
when phone manufacturers started combining the mouthpiece and receiver into a single
unit(Zigterman). It was a way to communicate with someone. As time moved on the cellphone
advanced. Caller I.D became a way for others to actually see who was calling them. Then came
the camera phone and the flip phone. I can relate to how the phones that I have used previously

have evolved.My first phone was caleld the firefly. The Firefly only had 5 buttons; no internet,
no screens. It was strictly for emergencies. Now I have the Iphone 6 which can do almost about
everything and anything you could possibly think of. It can connect to the internet along with
hold pictures,play games, play music, facetime, as well as text messaging and talking on the
phone. From the candlestick phones to the Iphone it has changed the way people interact as a
whole. It has changed my life in various ways; good and bad.
There are an endless amount of positives to owning a cellular phone. Of the top of my
head I could name at least 10. Without my cellphone I would not be able to keep in touch with
my friends and family. Being away at college is a difficult transition but because I have my
phone it gives me the ability to talk with them as well as see them. Having my phone on me also
gives me a sense of protection. If I ever needed someone in case of an emergency I could dial
911 instantly.The Federal Communications Commission estimates that 70 percent of 911 calls
are made from mobile devices, and recognizes them as an important public safety tool. It has also
developed a text-to-911 function, allowing users to request emergency assistance through text in
certain circumstances. Even in non-emergencies, for example a car breakdown, cellphones can
make requesting help much easier and safer(Walton). Another positive is that I can stay
connected with the world outside of my circle. Such as being able to go on twitter and seeing
what is happening in other counties or simply surfing the internet.Having a cellphone also serves
as keeping all my pictures together and make sharing them with others easy. My cellphone also
serves as a form of entertainment. The amount of applications it has are endless. From having
games or being able to watch television on it allows me to always have some way to pass the
time. Cell Phones are positives to society as well.A pro is that many small businesses are using
them. Cell phones have become vital tools for consumers, allowing users to obtain information,

search for discounts and purchase products directly from their devices. M-commerce is growing
rapidly, with an eMarketer study putting U.S. retail sales through mobile devices at $24.66
billion in 2012. In addition, mobile marketing through cell phones allows businesses to engage
with their audiences in new ways. This can be especially effective for small businesses, giving
them a cost-effective way to reach potential customers(Walton). Another concrete reason for
having a cellphone is that it is small so it eliminates the use of carrying around a huge laptop
around.The positives are endless and the ways it has affect, not just me, but society as a
whole.Cellphones are a way to stay connected and easy access to other needs you may have.
Although there are positives there are also negatives to owning a cellphone.
If you were to ask older generations about having a cellphone they would say it is
unnecessary necessity. My great-grandmother refuses to have anything close to an Iphone. She
has a cellphone but it does not have half of the features that modernize phones have. She says
that kids now in days are glued to their phones and do not conversate with one another.
Whenever I have dinner or go out to eat my mother makes everyone give her their phones so that
we can have conversations with one another. Those are negatives of having a cellphone.
Sometimes having a cell phone is distracting. When I am trying to do my homework it is almost
impossible to get done with my phone in sight. I am constantly checking social media or texting
my friends. One of the most dangerous ways to use a cellphone is while you are behind the
wheel. 33% is the percentage of U.S. drivers ages 18 to 64 who reported reading or writing text
messages while driving in the previous month. In comparison, only 15 percent of drivers from
Spain reported texting while driving in the same period(Schumaker). Texting and driving
increases the chances of getting into a car accident by 4xs. Another con of having a cellphone is
that it is getting more and more expensive. When I got my Iphone 6 AT&T had changed their

policy. It used to be $200 to get an upgrade and you get to keep the phone. Now you have to
lease the phone, pay monthly and you must give it back to them after the 2 years are up. On top
of that it is an extra $60 a month. Another negative that cellphones have is that since they are
basically small computers students are using them as ways to cheat in classes. For example, they
could look up the answers to the test or even take pictures and send the test to other students. A
downfall to text messaging is that it can affect one's health. For one, hours of talking on a cell
phone can cause harmful microwave radiation on a persons brain, according to some studies.
This also affects the persons sleep patterns and leads to irritability, lack of patience and
abruptness (Hassan). Not only does having using your cellphone affect your health it also
affects the language that one might use. When text messaging you typically use shortcuts such as
instead of say talk to you late you would simply type ttyl or ttyl8er. It could possibly
interfere with your ability to type formally for an example writing a college essay. The negatives
and positives are what makes this piece of technology the most effective in my life.
Everything is going to have pros and cons. The cellphone has affected me in both ways.
Either way I know I could not live without it. It has become the one piece of technology that I
have become dependant on. The cellphone will continue to become more complex and
modernized with each passing year. With each generation the cellphone will be different and will
either affect their lives or there will be something better to come into play. The positive effects
that this piece of technology has made in my life are endless. It has kept me in touch with my
family and friends on a daily bases and continues to be a form of entertainment.The negative
effects have made me more aware on how much of a distraction the cellphone is to me and
society.The cellphone will most likely continue to be the most influential piece of technology in
my life.

Works Cited
Hassan, Furwah. "Cell Phones Have Negative Effects?" The-Dispatch.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct.
2015. <http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20110225/Teen/302259990>.
.Schumaker, Erin. "10 Statistics That Capture The Dangers of Texting and Driving." The Huffington
Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.

<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/08/dangers-of-texting-and-drivingstatistics_n_7537710.html>.
Walton, Andy. "The Cellphone: Positive Impacts on Our Society." Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 27
Oct. 2015. <http://science.opposingviews.com/cellphone-positive-impacts-society-4752.html>.
Zigterman, Ben. "How We Stopped Communicating like Animals: 15 Ways Phones Have
Evolved." N.p., 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2015. <http://bgr.com/2013/12/13/telephone-timeline-abrief-history-of-the-phone/>.