Mobile Devices: Anytime, Anywhere

As I write this blog, I find myself being drawn at ever more frequent intervals to my smart phone. The device has become an irreplaceable tool in my life and not an hour goes by where I don’t find myself interacting with the device in some form or another. Whether it’s to check Facebook; to respond to a text message or email; or to check bank balances; my smart phone has become more than purely a material device used to make and receive the occasional phone call.

The prominence of mobile technology is highlighted by statistics indicating that globally almost 154 million smartphones sold in the second quarter of 2012 (Brownlow, 2012); more than 491 million smartphones were sold in 2011. A 2011 survey conducted by Sony Ericsson found that the average American is digitally connected between 2.5 and 3.5 hours each day (Greengard 2011, p.17).

From a personal life perspective, we as a society are more within reach of each other and information than ever before. By integrating the use of smart mobile technology into our personal lives we can pay bills, go shopping or seek the latest world news, irrespective of our whereabouts and the time of day. My favourite mobile device, the Kindle allows me to store hundreds of books on a device smaller than the standard magazine. Whilst there are clear benefits in having instantaneous access to our contacts and to the ever growing services offered via mobile technology, we must be aware of the inherent risk mobile technology presents in creating a socially inept civilisation as text messages, emails and online interactions are chosen over face to face dealings and real human interactions. As Sherry Turkle points out in her video Connected, but Alone? (2012), people can’t get enough of each other, if and only if they can have each other at a distance.

In our working lives, we now have around the clock access to our offices via mobile access to emails and business documents, creating an opportunity for more flexible working arrangements. As people become absorbed in utilising mobile technology and take advantage of the positive benefits in productivity, flexibility and reactivity it provides, there is a need to set clear boundaries governing appropriate use of the technology. Gaining additional flexibility and productivity in the workplace positively impacts on both employers and employees, but they must be wary of the ease in which work time and personal time can be blurred as a result of mobile technology.

The impact on our lives that mobile technology offers is clear. The boundaries of connectivity and information access have been broken down to a point where our contacts, websites, emails, work documents and other services can be accessed anytime and anywhere. What is also clear is that the use of the technology must be appropriately balanced to provide a clear separation in work time and personal time, and to ensure that we are not solely choosing mobile interactions over real human interaction.

REFERENCES

Brownlow, M 2012, ‘Smartphone statistics and market share’, Email Marketing Reports, viewed 26 November 2012, <http://www.email-marketing-reports.com/wireless-mobile/smartphone-statistics.htm>

Gluesing, JC 2009, ‘Identity in a virtual world: the coevolution of technology, work and lifecycle’, in Meerwath TL, Gluesing, JC & Jordan, B, Mobile work, mobile lives, Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, USA <http://www.swin.eblib.com.au.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/patron/Read.aspx?p=428280&pg=71>

Geser, H 2006 ‘Is the cell phone undermining the social order? Understanding mobile technology from a sociological perspective’, Knowledge, Technology & Policy, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 8-18, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 27 November 2012.

Greengard, S 2011, ‘Living in a Digital World’, Communications of the ACM, vol. 54, no. 10, pp. 17-19, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 27 November 2012.

Kalkbrenner, J & McCampbell A 2011, ‘The Advent of Smartphones: A Study on the Effect of Handheld Electronics on Personal and Professional Productivity’, Journal of Applied Global Research, vol. 4, no. 8, pp. 1-9, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 27 November 2012.

Sharwood, A 2012, ’10 ways smartphones are destroying our lives’, News.com.au, 19 November 2012, viewed 28 November 2012, <http://www.news.com.au/technology/smartphones/ways-smartphones-are-destroying-our-lives/story-fn6vihic-1226519813913>.

Turkle, S 2012, Connected, but alone?, April 2012, online video, viewed 26 November 2012, <http://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together.html>