Wednesday, October 6, 2010
New Tech, New Ties
On page 15 the author makes reference to mobile phones doing more than just carrying out the function of holding a telephone conversation. He says that "the mobile telephone has emblematic status in modern society." Just by knowing what kind of telephone someone has could give you a more specific view of their life and status. Do you agree that something as simple as a telephone is a way in which we can give status to individuals? Are people being categorized by the type of cell phone they carry?
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I don't think so at all. He said that people with smart phones are considered business people, which I take as also being older. While it is true that smart phones are meant more for business and holding tons of information that is organized and planned out,it doesn't mean that that is what they are used for. Every phone is made by advertisers with a specific theme in mind to cater to a certain crowd. So I think that if any person is put into a category or status because of their phone, it is most likely because the image was shown to millions of people by advertisers. Besides, today you see 10 year olds running around with blackberries and i-phones because they think that it makes them look cool.
ReplyDeleteI personally do not think this is the case today, though I'll admit that it may have once been that way a few years ago. For example, my dad and brother both have Blackberries. My dad is a returns manager for a large electronics distributor, and my brother is currently in his second year at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Looking at these two, Ling is correct, as they both have highly active, important lives. Yet, at the same time, my younger sister also used to have a Blackberry (around when she was 15) and currently still has a fancier phone than everyone in our family (she is currently 17). Not to mention, the same seems to be the case with many other families that I have heard of, especially since the younger generations seem to be more "tech savvy." Thus, while Ling's example may once have been true,I do not believe that it is now.
ReplyDeleteI think the conception of being judged by the cell phone you have is a little out dated. I feel now, everyone has smart phones. They have become a very popular phone for everyone from kids in high school, to college kids, and even parents! Most of these people are not using the phones for business purposes, as they may have originally been intended. They do so much now that they are basically like little computers, and that is something that attracts everybody nowadays.
ReplyDeleteI don’t believe that the type of cell phone we carry gives us status or gives the ability to be categorized in a certain way. Nowadays, as someone had already mentioned, kids and adults of all ages are using smart phones. I know a 3rd grader who already has a smart phone, and knows more about it than I do! They are not just for businessmen, although they are designed for them. With those things being said, I feel it gives my opinion that our cell phones don’t categorize us, more credit.
ReplyDeleteTo continue on with the possible categorizing of people who have certain phones, in addition to everyone having smart phones, it brings me to ask, why wouldn’t anyone want one if they have the possibility to own one? Everything is basically at the tip of your fingers. The internet, phone, GPS, texting, instant messaging, and the list goes on and on. All of these things are appealing to people, that they might view the world a more difficult place if they did not have their smart phone, and these people aren’t business men, but more like you and me.
I don't think in today's society people are characterized by the type of cell phone that they carry. I think that was something people were more concerned with in the past when it wasn't as common for people to be carrying them around all the time. Now, I think it is just expected that most everyone has a cell phone and the model of the phone doesn't really matter as much. Personally, I know I don't judge people at all based on the type of cell phone they are carrying around. I understand that certain people need certain things when it comes to having the mobile device. Not everyone needs to pay the $30 each month to have the internet, email, and everything else that comes along with the "full service" of having the cell phone. These days, it's hard to even tell what type of cell phone people have. PHones are changing so much from the size of them to how they actually look, so just based on seeing someones cell phone, I wouldn't be able to tell if it's a good phone or not let alone trying to determine their life status. Along with that, I'm also not going to question people about their cell phone and what kind of plan they have for that phone. I'm not going to characterize anyone based on the type of phone they have. As long as they have one and can communicate in some way through the phone then it's okay with me.
ReplyDeleteI must disagree with Ling's assumption that the the style or model of someone's cell phone exemplifies their social position and status. Although I will acknowledge that when cell phones first came out, the business people living in cities (probably with higher-paying salaries)were more or less the main consumers for this "new technology;" however,today I see no correlation between model and status. For this reason I tend to agree with Patrick's position on this topic. At one time there may have been some evidence of social status based on simply the ownership of a cell phone, but such distinctions are now hazy.
ReplyDeleteFor example, in high school I worked at a local grocery store and I can't tell you how many times customers would be paying for their groceries with food stamps while holding the newest cell phone model in their other hand. Meanwhile my dad, who lacks any sort of technological savviness, is a successful entrepreneur, but does not buy the expenssive new phones because he feels no need to have the access to internet on his cell phone. He enjoys the use of basic functions such as calling and texting.