Toxic Phones
Our lives are becoming more and more hassled by the day. I remember a time when a phone was just a device used for calling, messaging and of course playing the classic game ‘Snake’. That was all a phone did. Nothing else.
But then came a revolution in the phone manufacturing industry – the smartphone. This smartphone changed our lives. The phone that played a minor role in our lives has now become the most vital part of our lives.
But how did this happen? How did such a small device become the center of our universe?
Initially, when the mobile phone was launched it was a really big heavy phone which looked more like a wireless telephone. It barely had a screen and took about 10 hours to charge.
This was what the phone was like. Only a few people could afford it and it was a huge status symbol of the time.
In the 35 year journey of the phone, it has evolved like a living organism. From a high maintenance, bulky and limited functional device to a device which has enormous potential, is slim and light weight.
The phone is a multi-functional device. It can work as a camera, a telephone, a scanner, a computer and a music player. This small device is replacing a lot of devices in our households. It has already taken the place of the camera and the landline.
If all this was less, we are now giving the phone a mind of its own. We are creating phones with artificial intelligence which can have god knows what impact on us, down the line. (Remember The Terminator?). Are we handing the keys to the kingdom to AI’s?
Artificial intelligence is not the only toxic seed that we are sowing. Applications that come on our phone are also becoming a threat to us. We are creating applications which collect all our personal information and supply it to the people who need that information to grow their own businesses. Big multi-national companies have expanded their businesses on the cost of our privacy. The invasion of our privacy is gaining them profits.
Are we becoming puppets in the hands of these big companies? Are we attaching strings to ourselves just because we want to maintain our own status in the society?
As a consumer we need to know where to draw a line. We can’t keep selling our soul to the devil just to preserve our image in the society.
But then came a revolution in the phone manufacturing industry – the smartphone. This smartphone changed our lives. The phone that played a minor role in our lives has now become the most vital part of our lives.
But how did this happen? How did such a small device become the center of our universe?
Initially, when the mobile phone was launched it was a really big heavy phone which looked more like a wireless telephone. It barely had a screen and took about 10 hours to charge.
This was what the phone was like. Only a few people could afford it and it was a huge status symbol of the time.
In the 35 year journey of the phone, it has evolved like a living organism. From a high maintenance, bulky and limited functional device to a device which has enormous potential, is slim and light weight.
The phone is a multi-functional device. It can work as a camera, a telephone, a scanner, a computer and a music player. This small device is replacing a lot of devices in our households. It has already taken the place of the camera and the landline.
If all this was less, we are now giving the phone a mind of its own. We are creating phones with artificial intelligence which can have god knows what impact on us, down the line. (Remember The Terminator?). Are we handing the keys to the kingdom to AI’s?
Artificial intelligence is not the only toxic seed that we are sowing. Applications that come on our phone are also becoming a threat to us. We are creating applications which collect all our personal information and supply it to the people who need that information to grow their own businesses. Big multi-national companies have expanded their businesses on the cost of our privacy. The invasion of our privacy is gaining them profits.
Are we becoming puppets in the hands of these big companies? Are we attaching strings to ourselves just because we want to maintain our own status in the society?
As a consumer we need to know where to draw a line. We can’t keep selling our soul to the devil just to preserve our image in the society.
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