Cellular Revolution
There has never been a technological invention that has caught on as rapidly as the cellular phone, global sales of which have risen from 6 million in 1991 to more than a billion units a year now. The total number of global cell phone users exceeded the number of non-users for the first time in history in 2008. (Of course, these statistics distort the real picture, since many people in the more affluent countries own more than one phone while there are still countries in the world where cell phone ownership is near zero.)
Innovation in cell phones has accelerated so much that it is often difficult for consumers to keep up with the new possibilities they provide. Phones are constantly incorporating other products like cameras, radios, MP3 players, GPS navigation systems, portable flash memory drives, even televisions.
There is now a massive range of different products that previously might have been bought separately that can now be part of a cell phone.
Cellular phones have radically transformed our lives. They have reshaped the way we communicate with one another, they have generated new forms of language, they have become fashion accessories, and they have given us the freedom to do what we want, where we want. In a world where mobile internet access is no longer a matter of science fiction, we can have any information at our finger tips any hour of any day, and we no longer have to feel cut off when we leave the safety of our homes or offices.
Obviously, the rich have been quicker to by cell phones than the poor. But this is true for any consumer product. Cell phone take-up among the poor has actually been far more widespread than that of previous innovations, like color TV, computers, or internet access. As the prices of cellular phones continue to fall and their capabilities continue to expand, they might end up being more successful in bridging the gap between the upper and the lower social classes than relatively expensive computers.
Cell phones have also some negative associations. Just consider all those road accidents waiting to happen as drivers hold a cell phone in one hand, and drive with the other hand. Cell phone thefts now also make up nearly a third of all street robberies in some large urban areas. Some medical research shows cell phone users are more than twice as likely to develop tumors in those parts of the brain nearer their phone ear, although, as of yet, researchers have been unable to find conclusive evidence for any connection with phone usage.
Overall, cell phones have brought more advantages than drawbacks to our lives. As with any invention, we just have to take the bad with the good, and enjoy the benefits they have to offer.
Scanning, Skimming, Predicting and Guessing are examples of: