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ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 7, Issue 6, (Part -2) June 2017, pp.47-51

RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS

Future of Mobile Technology

Ibrahim Alkhubaizi
ABSTRACT
In the recent years, there has been a significant revolution in mobile technology and the entire electronics
industry. In fact, major technology companies have made significant milestones in the industry such as
developing cell phones which can detect the fingerprints of an individual. Also, mobile technology has eased
global linkage, and proximity is insignificant because communication can be done from anywhere in the world.
Mobile phones have had a significant effect on our culture especially reducing human interaction and making
most people spend all their time on their mobile devices. This study, therefore, seeks to determine the impact of
mobile technology on culture.
Keywords: Mobile Technology, Mobile Phones, Culture.

I. INTRODUCTION have been very convenient for a majority of people,

A recent study done in 2009 showed that but they have completely changed how people
over 73% of the youth in the United Stated used interact in the social domain. When two or more
mobile phones more than 3 hours a day (Kakabadse people are engaging in a conversation, it is evident to
et al.). This cultural shift was due to the evolution of see that one of them is very busy on the phone.
mobile technology. For instance, the study indicated Therefore, in such a case, there can no longer be a
that students would spend more time on their phones healthy discussion. Various researches have been
that with their parents. This, therefore, led to a conducted, and it has been concluded that in this
parental disconnect between the students and their present times many people have been addicted to
parents which had been caused by spending a lot of technology.
time on their phones. Also, Rosen argues that most Smartphones were introduced to the
youths spent a lot of time talking on the phone even consumer market approximately by Apple the
when walking along the streets. The youth had also manufacturers of iPhone. A recent survey shows that
minimized social interactions with their peers, and around 42% of phone users in the US use
this had affected their social life. This has also smartphones. This has seen positive growth for the
presented a challenge in their workplaces because the developers as well as the economy. The introduction
youth do not embrace teamwork rather they embrace of smartphones also has had a positive impact on the
individual work because most of the time they are on society such as enhancing communication, but it has
their mobile device. This has led to an inadequate had some adverse effects on the cultures and
workforce thereby, causing employers to be hesitant individuals as well. Statistics have also shown that
in employing the new generation. 37% of adults and 60% of teenagers have confessed
to being addicted to their mobile phones. This has, in
1.1 General Background of the study turn, led to a dramatic drop of cultural norms among
There has been a tremendous growth in the people. Adolescents and the youth are no longer
mobile telecommunications industry in the past years respectful because mobile technology has resulted in
(Sirpa). As a matter of fact, mobile technology has increasing in moral decay. Evidently, there needs to
revolutionized economic growth in Africa and Asia. be a study to show the effects of mobile technology
Mobile technology has eased communication to the on the culture.
western world, and this has made Africans assimilate
the west culture of doing this. That has made them 1.2 Problem statement
leave their culture with the aim of learning the Mobile technology has revolutionized
American culture. Most African countries have communication and has made the world a global
forgotten their habits and embraced the western village. However, technology has caused many of its
world ideas (Katz and Aakhus). Some of the western users become addicted to it. For instance, many
behaviors copied include: wearing short dresses and phone users have been labeled electronic pests
tight jeans, drinking alcohol publicly among many because they spend most of their times scrolling their
behaviors. Most people have condemned this in those phones. In fact, most individuals would rather forget
regions, but they have all realize that those are the anything at home, rather than forget their mobile
certain effects of mobile technology. Mobile phones phones. This has led to a cultural decay among many
countries. Therefore, the researcher proposes to

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ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 7, Issue 4, ( Part -4) April 2017, pp.91-96

conduct research on the impact of mobile technology technology is making things different for people,
on culture. especially students and books are become obsolete
1.3 Research Questions hence causing a dramatic change in the culture of
The central research question of this study is: what is students who are in the intuitions of higher learning.
the impact of mobile technology on culture? Assignments are submitted online, and that has
However, to answer this research question, the changed greatly the culture of manually marking the
following principal sub-questions will be addressed: students’ books. This has also caused some negative
 What are the effects of mobile technology on effects because some students rely on technology and
culture? they rarely attend class because even classes can be
 How has mobile technology impacted people’s streamed online.
social lives?
 Is it acceptable to use mobile devices at all social 1.6.2 Theory of Situation
places? This theory suggests that learning must take
place in an authentic context. This means that
1.4 Research Objectives learning ought to take place in a real setting, and this
Following the research question stated above, the enhances the mode of learning. Mobile technology is
general objective of this study was to determine the available and can enhance teaching in schools by
impact of mobile technology on culture. ensuring that students are in the right place at the
right time hence improving their concentration. This
1.4.1 Secondary Objective has also had a major impact on culture because it has
The secondary aims of this research are two. revolutionized the way teachers and students think in
Firstly, the researcher has taken a keen interest in terms of culture.
mobile technology among individuals especially the
youth and wants to establish the impact that mobile 1.6.3 Theory of collaboration
devices have in this age group. Secondly, the author Collaborative learning has been made
wants to find out The reasons which have made possible through the use of computers as well as
mobile technology have a significant impact on mobile technology. According to Vygotsky, we learn
people’s culture. effectively and efficiently by collaborating with
others and also during group work. In fact, he argues
1.4.2 Primary Objective that instructional learning had changed the culture of
The primary aims of the study are several, students and It had a significant effect on knowledge
and they include: To find out the impact of mobile construction. Therefore, mobile technology has acted
technology on people's livelihoods. Also, another as a mobilization tool for all students to come
objective it to know whether it was socially together and work on a particular task. This has, in
acceptable always to use mobile phones in social turn, promoted a deeper understanding of the matter
gatherings. thereby promoting constructive thinking.

1.5 Limitations of the study II. DISCUSSION

Limitations of this study are likely to be an The study sought out to determine the
unequal distribution of participants. For effective impact of mobile technology on cultures. After
finds and conclusions, the research found it of utmost conducting a survey on the use of mobile phones in
importance that there would be a fair distribution of social places, the majority of the respondents agreed
participants for the results to be credible. that they used their phones frequently in the social
areas. The social areas included in public gatherings
1.6 Literature Review or functions. That primarily showed that people were
There are quite a number of theories that have been no longer respectful of the social places and were
derived from mobile technology and are very useful using their mobile devices anywhere. In that case, it
in its role in impacting culture. can be noted and concluded the people no longer
have respect for the culture norms and taboo of the
1.6.1 Theory of Learning and Teaching support society. The above conclusion has been made
The theory of learning and teaching support because long ago, people used to respect social places
helps in explaining that education is a process and it and it was forbidden to use phones or anything else.
is aided by the use of resources. Mobile devices can However, nowadays, everyone including adults
be used by the teaching staff in learning as well as spends most of their time staring at their phones thus
providing the relevant course material to the forgetting about cultural values. A long time ago
students.Also, mobile technology helps computing picking up phones in social places was considered to
and technology students as it makes their work be a "subordinate activity" (Rosen).
easier.(Riordan and Traxler).Evolution of mobile

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ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 7, Issue 4, ( Part -4) April 2017, pp.91-96

The study also sought to find out how Mobile technology is evolving day and day,
mobile technology had impacted people's social lives. and nothing can halt the process. The evolution is
Technology has made people be more introverts than occurring at a fast rate; in fact, people are breaking
extroverts. It is evident that today, almost everything the tradition of physical meetings and replacing them
can be found on in the internet thereby making it a with video calls and voice calls. In addition, students
global village. For example, online shopping can be are no longer required to attend classes because if
done just by the click of a button, and money can be they have their mobile devices, they can access class
transacted online among many things. Mobile notes and the course outline online. This has
technology is good but it has some adverse effects as increased laziness among the students.Also, the
well, and it has also minimized human interaction. advancement of technology has aided effective
Nowadays, you do not have to visit a bank because communication between the recipient and the sender
banks have adopted technology in that there is mobile of the information. In a class setting, the teacher is
banking hence bringing all the banks features to your able to relay communication very fast, and it is able
mobile device. This, therefore, has had a detrimental to reach all his or her students at an appropriate time.
effect on the lives of people and has made people Technology is seen to develop in such a way that it
very anti-social. People have become antisocial will be used to design and come up with various
because they have all they need on their phone and ways of living of a certain culture. That will show
they think that no one around them matters. All users value for other cultures thereby promoting them and
of Blackberry smartphones have been labeled as causing them to grow. For example, if arts are the
electronic pests because they do not talk to anyone norm of a particular community then technology will
near them because they just look at their phone improve it by introducing editing features to that art
screens (Locher). It can be concluded that mobile and enhance it causing it to be more marketable.
technology has some positive impacts such as making When a product is more marketable, it will be of
the world a global village, but it has also "killed” the more value to a community hence making it more
social lives of many individuals. It was also valuable economically which will improve the living
discovered that most people were using their mobile conditions of that particular culture.
phones while driving and that had caused many Mobile devices have continued to upgrade
accidents because people who are constantly on their for a very long time. It can be concluded that this is
phones while driving lack proper concentration and inevitable because there are serious technology
therefore, they cannot respond promptly in case of an advancements occurring. Mobile technology is seen
emergency. to be in tandem with culture because as it changes it
Another objective of this study was to find also has a direct effect on the culture of a certain
out whether mobile phones are allowed to be used in community.Nonetheless, the advancement of mobile
social places. This question has elicited a lot of technology should be prevented from having a
debated as to whether or not mobile devices are detrimental effect on the culture of communities.
allowed. According to (Rosen), during the old times, Many people adapt to the good and bad effects of
the use of a mobile phone in social places was a bad advancement of mobile technology. Some teens may
activity. For example, if an individual had a gathering end up copying the dressing culture of their role
with his or her family he was not allowed to use the models on the internet however morally wrong they
mobile phone till he was on his own. According to are hence eroding their traditional systems.Therefore,
the culture then, it was of utmost importance that the companies responsible for these advancements
people would respect face to face communication. should ensure that they restrict harmful content from
The people then were of the opinion that missed calls the Internet. This will prevent individuals from
would be returned at a later time. Nowadays, in compromising their culture with behavior adopted
contrast to the old age belief, the modern day people from the internet hence leading to a positive
believe that phone calls are so important and urgent significant effect of the culture.
such that they should be answered when necessary
and face to face communication can be done anytime. III. CONCLUSION
Most of the respondents stated that phone calls are Mobile technology has been found to have a
supposed to be answered immediately while face to significant effect on culture. To be precise mobile
face communication can be done later. The above technology has had a negative impact on the different
beliefs by the youth today have caused mobile cultures of the world. On the other hand, mobile
technology to have a huge impact on our society technology has had a positive impact on people’s
because of different views. lives, and it has changed the way people
communicate as well as transact. For example,
2.1 Future Of Mobile Technology And Its Impact someone in the United States can send money to
On Culture someone in Africa and the transaction will be safe
and fast and the recipient gets the money in less than

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S. Dewangan.et.al. Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Application www.ijera.com
ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 7, Issue 4, ( Part -4) April 2017, pp.91-96

ten minutes. In the world today, mobile technology the concerned companies should give the users
and invention are inevitable. However, based on the education and guidance on how to use the mobile
finds of this study, there is a significant effect phones. For instance, they are supposed to inform
between mobile technology and culture. Technology them on the benefits of mobile technology and how it
has changed the way the youth address their parents makes works easier as well as facilitates safe and
as well as the older generation. The study also faster transfer of funds. On the other hand, users
established that younger generations were engaged should also be informed of the adverse effects that
on their mobile devices most of the time they were in are associated with using mobile technology. Some
social gatherings. of the health hazards include; health effects of using a
This vice was also found to exist in the Smartphone for too long, effects of keeping your
workplace because most employees were constantly phone inside your pocket for too long, dangerous
on their phone thereby denying a chance of effects of always staying on the phone as well as
interaction with other employees. This was a major effects of driving while texting. If mobile technology
point of concern for employers, and most of them users are made aware of this then, they will avoid the
express fears of individuals who are always on their harmful effects, and that will bring normalcy to the
mobile phone. Mobile technology has thereby cultural decay that is brought by mobile phone
destroyed the employee-employer relations as well as technology.
employee-employee relations because there is a little Regarding social websites, institutions of
or minimal interaction between them. higher learning should try and minimize their
Technology and society have been found to students logging into the site. These sites make
be mutually constitutive. (MacKenzie and students not concentrate in class, and therefore they
Wajcman).That implies that society is expected to should be blocked from accessing them. When this is
undergo a paradigm shift as the technology evolves. done, their social life will be enhanced thereby
It is evident that any change in mobile technology making them interact with the community in an
must have effects on the culture and the society of a efficient and effective way. This will also improve
particular nation. their concentration in class because no effort will be
It can be concluded that mobile technology placed on the social media websites and all efforts
has had some good and bad effects on culture. Some will be channeled into their education thus making
of the good and notable effects are that mobile them perform better.
technology has improved communication and People should be educated on the
enhanced the exchange of ideas. When two of more importance of safeguarding their culture. When this
cultures meet over the internet, they communicate is done, technology advancement will not in any way
and exchange information which can be of utmost have a major effect on their way of life. Individuals
importance to the other party. In addition, the will tend to stick to their cultures and belief system.
populace of one culture is able to borrow ideas from Finally, the study recommends that institutions of
each other and vice versa. If these ideas are edifying, learning should minimize or eradicate the use of
then that is a plus for both communities. However, mobile technology in schools. In the recent years,
the advancement of mobile technology has eroded many surveys conducted have shown that most
some respectful cultures amongst some African students fail to attend classes because of the
communities because they have copied some of the digitization of learning. For example, a student can
western cultures from the Internet thanks to mobile miss classes because he or she knows that even if he
technology advancement. misses class, the class teacher will send all the notes
to their mobile devices.
IV. RECOMMENDATIONS Besides, mobile technology has made the
Based on the findings and the conclusion of students not to socialize with their peers thereby
the study, the research came up with the following leading to less human interactions. Therefore, even if
recommendations which were seen as important in these students are faced with a challenge they cannot
determining the impact of mobile technology on handle it because they are used to technology. If
culture. Individuals should be asked to minimize their these recommendations are implemented, there will
mobile device usage in public as well as in public be less negative impact of mobile technology in our
places. However, they should not be coerced in doing schools.
so. Everyone has the free will to do whatsoever their Future studies should be conducted on the
mind decides, and this should be done willfully. This effect of mobile technology on specific cultures so
will increase work productivity at workplaces and that there will be a complete analysis of the effects on
restore the sanity of culture.Also, the mobile this specific culture. Various studies have been
technology companies should take the initiative and conducted on the impact of Smartphone’s in the
educate the users on the positive impact and the society, Social cultural and many other factors.
dangers of using the mobile devices. In other words,

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ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 7, Issue 4, ( Part -4) April 2017, pp.91-96

Studies should also be conducted to

determine the different dimensions of mobile
technology and how they affect cultures. Such
patterns will help everyone understand the specific
effect of each pattern to the society. For instance, the
update of technology in Africa is different from the
uptake of technology in the United States.
Therefore, a more comprehensive study
should be done to establish which specific kinds of
cultures and what exact effects do these mobile
technologies affect them. This will aid the
researchers as well as the mobile technology firms to
come up with a lasting solution to the excess and
harmful uptake of technology. The study will be
suitable for the community and the mobile
technology companies.

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