Technology

Over the last few decades technology has made many advances and it is being reflected in our day to day life. Things which were there only in imagination about 5/6 decades back are now reality and they are in use on regular basis. One of the thing which has been universally accepted all over the world is Cell Phone or Mobile Phone. It is being used in the Poorest to the Richest  of nations and their common people, and over the years this gadget along with making/receiving call does so many other activities that now it is a hand held computer. Most of the things which computer is doing, can be done by this gadget. You can install so many third party apps on the cell phone to make your life more comfortable. Along with so many benefits of the cell phone, you also get many disadvantages, that sometimes you fell whether Cell phone is boon or bane.

Now let me list out some of the major advantages which makes the life easier and simpler:

1. Earlier to make yourself available to others in working hours, you have to be accessible in the area where your land line telephone is installed. In case you are on the move you, you were bound to miss many important calls. With the advent of mobile phones you are available on the phone for the outside contacts always, and specially during working hours.
2. In the earlier stages of mobile phones, there was message service wherein someone could leave a message on your mobile phone, which would be chargeable. Now with so many apps installed on your mobile, you can send message without any cost thru internet/data system installed on mobile.
3. Earlier, when one had to find a address any where in your home city or any outstation city , you had to ask so many people how to reach the desired location. But today with maps available on your mobile phones, and internet available on the mobile, you can reach the desired location without taking help from any body.
4. You can download the music of your choice, on to your mobile and listen the same at your leisure and convenient time.
5. All the TV broadcasters have their mobile app, by installing the same on your cell phone, you can watch any TV program on your mobile thru internet and required app. For sports lovers, any sporting event can be seen live or pre recorded on your mobile.
6. You can get any information required by using mobile and browsing the sites like Google, Wikipedia and many other sites.
7. You can access and you use E mail account with the help of your mobile phones.
8. There are so many other apps like ordering foods, booking cabs like Ola/Uber, booking any movie/drama tickets or any other event’s tickets. Ordering medicines thru On Line pharmacy or booking any medical services.
9. For students, there are many educational apps available which help them to understand the subject matter. Students can access these types of apps on their mobile.
10. There is on line coaching available, which can be accessed by using mobile.
11. You can do on line banking with your mobile, you do not have to go to your bank branch for any banking work.
12. In emergency your family can reach you any time. In case of accident or some mishap happening to you, someone can access your mobile and inform your dear ones.
13. Very useful for old people to remain in touch with outside world and in case of emergency they can call the help.

Above were the few benefits or Boons available to users of Mobile phones. Now let us see the few disadvantages associated with mobile phones:

1. With the advent of mobile phone, you are left with no private time for yourself. Earlier when landline phones are prevalent that time after office hours you are left alone from your professional life, unless you give your residence land line telephone number to some one. Presently your professional life interrupts your personal life also, as you are accessible 24 hours.
2. Your associates or your bosses require prompt action from you as your e mail is also accessible on your phone. It means you are working almost 16 hours a day (except when you are sleeping), this spoils your personal life and health as you are always under stress of finishing the deadline.
3. With the social media being very active( like whatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, Instagram , Tweeter and many more), you are always receiving some message on the social media.
4. You have to go thru many fake messages and fake news being circulated on social media, this happens more during elections time.
5. Children/school students have access to many undesired sites, which are not good for them, specially pornographic sites. This is the major concern for all the parents who provide mobile phone to their children. But looking at present scenario of the big cities mobile has become must for students, for searching the needed information of the subject which they are studying. Secondly parents are always worried about their children, with the mobile they are in touch with their child.
6. There are news items all over world, that the radiation from the mobile phone is bad for your health. Most of you must have seen the video where corn becomes the Pop corn with the heat generated by  four mobile phones thru radiation.
7. For terrorists and other people of under world, this becomes a very handy gadget to remain in contact with  other members  of their fraternity.
8. When you install any app, the marketer of the apps ask so many of your personal information that in the end these people knows about your whereabouts and many other information, which can be mis used.

So like any other technological development there are boons and there are banes with the mobile phones, it is up to the individual how you look at it.

Awaiting your comments/feed backs/views.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

14^th Jan 2019