The Positive and Negative Implications of Emerging Mobile Technologies

The Positive and Negative Implications of Emerging Mobile Technologies

Abstract

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This paper identifies the positive and negative implications for society of emerging mobile technologies such as mobile telephones, laptops, 3G and SMS. An online survey recruited a total of 106 participants. The results suggest that whilst emerging mobile technologies undoubtedly offer a plethora of benefits to individuals, organisations and society, there is a corresponding need to raise user awareness on the increasing privacy, security and potential negative consequences relating to the rapid embrace of such technologies. Keywords: Mobile Technologies, Data Addiction, Privacy, Communications, Productivity

Introduction

Mobile devices can be loosely defined as portable devices that have in-built computing or Internet capability (Morley, 2008). The 1990s saw the dawn of a new age of mobility with a proliferation of mobile computing devices; the age of mobile computing was born (Cook & Das, 2005). A decade of research and development into hardware and software spawned a myriad of mobile technologies that laid the foundations of today’s ubiquitous computing age (Weiser, 1991). The emerging mobile technologies responsible for this age have caused such a shift in society that physical barriers to communication have been largely eliminated. Increased mobility has also made time and location barriers for work almost obsolete. The world is moving towards ubiquitous, seamless data connectivity that enables communication, access and sharing of information from anywhere, at any time, through the combined use of a multitude of mobile technologies (Bing & Lorenz, 2002). These technologies help individuals to fulfil commitments to work, friends and family. As a consequence, social relationships and the relationships between people and work are changing as we now find ourselves immersed in an ‘always on’ culture (Sorensen, Yoo, & IFIP, 2005). Metcalfe’s law states that the value or usefulness of networked systems grows exponentially as the number of users linearly increases (Morville, 2005). In light of the estimated global penetration as of mid 2009 at 60 %, totalling 4.1 billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide (Bhatti, 2009), the potential of mobile phones alone to impact on society is inevitably strong. Arminen (2007) highlights issues of increased accountability and social responsibility resulting from mobile technologies. Laursen (2005) supports this, identifying a developing mobile-etiquette that involves norms for the reciprocation of calls and messages, and to always be available. The ability to multitask irrespective of time and location boundaries can be deemed both a positive and negative consequence of emerging mobile technologies – furthering productivity as well as the pressures to maintain it in both work and social environments……………………………..