The mobile phone... not all good news.

Donna Haroway’s essay, ‘A Cyborg Manifesto’ states that we are all ‘theorized and fabricated hybrids of machine and organisms; in short we are cyborgs,’ she is arguing that the machine (mobile phone in this instance) has become a part of us. Basing my argument in this notion it is clear that our living patterns and behaviors have altered due to this technology. Mobile phones have caused young people to become less self-reliant. Instead of solving an issue themselves they will call someone else for ideas and approval before going ahead with anything; it is too easy for them to rely on this technology. Texting has simultaneously caused younger people to become lazy; it allows them to keep in contact with one another but to the extent that they don’t have to put in any real effort. It allows people to avoid real conversation and often doesn’t entail social niceties. Texting slang is another issue as it allows younger people to avoid the use of proper English, whilst encouraging spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.



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Mobile phones have enabled parents to constantly monitor their children. Children have lost their sense of freedom and alone time as they can be contacted by their parents 24/7.

From a business perspective mobiles have also had a negative impact. Employees are constantly required to be available as they can be contacted at any time of the day or night. This has created a consistent blurring of boundaries between work and play. In the past people could not be contacted with such ease, meaning that the 2IC would have to step up and make decisions for them. People deserve a break and shouldn’t have to be always available. At the same time industries do not have the same control over their employees as the mobile phone allows workers to be checking their emails, surfing the internet or shopping on eBay while they are supposed to be working and there is no real means of tracking this unless there are cameras installed in workplaces.



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Mobile phones have been introduced and available to the masses at such a rapid pace that it seems we have not developed many rules on phone etiquette. People growing up with the technology of smart phones have become rude and they often don’t even realise that what they are doing is inappropriate. Checking Facebook on their mobile while out at a social event is not polite, just as speaking on the phone whilst being served by a salesperson isn’t either.

It also appears that mobile phone users have become addicted to their phones.

Sherry Turkle’s book ‘Alone Together’ exemplifies the idea of mobile phones causing everyone to be always on and never alone as they are living in a virtual space. If this connection is ever lost due to the phone running out of batteries or becoming misplaced for any amount of time this can cause a lot of anxiety and stress for mobile phone users.