LEE NEWMARK
ADV 400
FINAL PAPER
“More Than Just A Phone”
On April 3rd, 1973, Martin Cooper invented the first ever cell phone that weighed an amazing two pounds. The phone was 10 inches (25 cm) in height, 3 inches (8 cm) deep and an inch-and-a-half (4 cm) wide (Motorcity, 2003). It was so large that at first it was only used for strictly military and businesses. It’s one and only function was for communication, to make calls to others in your networks. It took almost a decade for the phone to decrease in size and become more widely available to the general population. Then in 1992, a huge breakthrough occurred and the cell phone was taken to a completely new level. The invention of Simon by IBM, the first Smartphone, opened the gates for the endless capabilities of the cell phone. The cell phone is constantly adapting to fit the needs of society. People want to have access to everything at the touch of a button no matter where they may be. With its capabilities of internet, e-mail, gaming, and much more this is exactly what the Smartphone accomplishes. The Smartphone illustrates all the characteristics of new media and theories that we have discussed thus far. As a technological device it keeps us closely connected to our networks and provides us with the ability to be involved in both the world of simulation and gaming. It serves as a symbol of our continued obsession with mobility, miniaturization, and portability. Our technology is continually changing with our society and the Smartphone is a perfect illustration of this progression.
Technology is and will continue to be a dominant aspect of a society for quite some time to come. It is something that is always being studied in an effort to understand the effects technology has on society. One device can completely change our consumer culture, our social lives, or even society as a whole. The invention of the cell phone has successfully accomplished all of this. It is hard to find anyone in today’s world that doesn’t have a cell phone. The Smartphone specifically, is such a necessary device because it can keep you connected with your friends, family, or clients no matter where you are or what you’re doing. The theory developed by Raymond Williams known as the humanist perspective speaks to the Smartphone and its impact on one’s social life. As described in the Lister text, Wiliams argues that “the ends of technology are always social” (Lister, 2003).The Smartphone is marketed by illustrating the amazing communications abilities the phone has. Not only does it have all the capabilities of a regular cell phone, but it gives you complete access to your e-mail account. No matter where you are, you can send an e-mail to a friend, family member, client, or whoever it may be. This feature is very useful in keeping your social networks together while not taking a lot of time out of your day. Instead of having to take the time to make a phone call, you can simply write an e-mail that can communicate everything that needs to be said in a much more straight-forward manner. This can be an e-mail inside your professional network (client, etc.) or it can simply be an e-mail to a friend in your social network asking them about a dinner time, concert, or whatever may be on your agenda.
Continuing with the humanist perspective, there are other aspects of Williams’ writings that can be related to the Smartphone. Williams argues that “even if a technology is accepted, there is nothing to ensure it will be used the way it was intended” (Lister, 2003). It is quite obvious that the primary functions of this phone are its cell phone and e-mail capabilities. But, there are many other features to this phone that people use on a regular basis and that create much of its appeal for the device. The Smartphone is equipped with both advanced internet and gaming capabilities that no other cell phones can provide. Rather than having to be at the office or at home on your desktop to surf the web, you can simply pull out your phone and find whatever you need. Whether it is Google, ESPN, Yahoo, or any other website, you have access right in the palm of your hands. This phone allows you to do things that a regular cell phone could not accomplish. With that being said, that point can be related to another theory, the technological determinist theory, developed by Marshall McLuhan. This perspective argues that machines force change on the world. Although these two perspectives are usually seen as opposites, they both have relevant points pertaining to my device. As quoted in the McLuhan readings, “technology extends physical human capacities” (Montfort, 2003). Just as a hammer would extend the hand or the radio would extend the ear, the Smartphone serves as an extension of the mouth. Its cell phone and e-mail capabilities allow you to talk to others even if you are nowhere near them. You could be at work, on vacation, or wherever and still tell the person whatever you need to say to them. This allows you to have much greater mobility because you don’t have to be in a certain place in order to communicate with that person(s). For someone that holds a very busy life (businessman, etc.), this increased mobility is something that is very valuable to them. Not having to be held down to a certain time or place allows them to have much more freedom to get more things done in their already busy schedule. It always you to stay connected to all your networks and do so in a very time-efficient manner.
Networks are something that are very important when discussing the topic of new media. Everything in society is connected through networks whether it is well-known or not. One of the main functions of my device is to make it easier to stay connected with all of your networks. These networks include both your physical and social networks as well as the hybrid collectif of both. The most obvious feature of the Smartphone is its cell phone capabilities. This means of communication can keep you in touch with all aspects of your social network including: Family, Friends, Professional, Formal, and Informal. The contacts feature of the cell phone, where you can save all your numbers and e-mail addresses, allows you to have easy access to call your friends, family, or clients. You do not have to be near a phone book or be on the internet to look up a number of someone you need to call. Further allowing you to stay connected with your networks is the e-mail capabilities of the Smartphone. Your personal e-mail account is set up on your phone so that all of the e-mails you would normally receive on your computer are also forwarded to your phone. The phone itself is what we call the physical network and is the device that allows you to have all the other capabilities that keep you connected to your network. These two (physical and social networks) come together when you use the cell phone (physical) to contact friends, family, or professionals in your social network. Being able to be connected at all times no matter where you are completely empowers you as a user. It allows you to do things with a cell phone that others without the phone wouldn’t be able to do outside their phone. For example, you can check your e-mail with this phone wherever you are and don’t have to worry about finding the time to go home or to the office to get on your desktop. This empowerment also leads to your increased mobility in all aspects of your life. One implication of this increased mobility is that you are able to take care of business much more efficiently. If there happens t be an important e-mail that you need to send or respond to you will be able to do so right away. This will make your clients happy when they don’t have to wait hours for your response if you happen to be out of the office. The phone capabilities also increase your mobility by allowing you to make calls wherever you may be. Whether it is an important business call or just catching up with friends or family the smart phone allows you to do just that “on the go.”
When you are deciding on a cell phone to purchase you have to think about many different things. Will I get good service in my area? How big is the phone? How much does it cost? These are the questions that will ultimately make your decision on the phone you purchase. When a consumer does indeed purchase a Smartphone, they will be pleasantly surprised with the other capabilities it has. Its gaming capabilities are truly remarkable and are so far beyond any other cell phone on the market. There are mass amounts of games available to the user that can provide hours of entertainment. Upon purchase of the Smartphone you are given generic games like solitaire, poker, and blocks that are built into the device. Some would say that this isn’t that appealing of a feature because some regular cell phones come with games like this. But, the gaming capabilities of the Smartphone go far beyond your basic games. With the internet capabilities on these phones you have access to a wide array of games. You can either play games directly off of the internet or download them for a small fee so you can play them whenever you want. The graphics that some of these phones are capable of producing is also something quite appealing to the consumer. Upon comparing the screenshots of a game that is available for both a PC and a Smartphone, it was almost impossible to tell the difference between the two. Yes, the screen is a lot smaller but just being able to play the game on your phone is quite appealing. This feature is a great aspect to the phone, but at the same time it does have its drawbacks. The whole aspect of playing a game disconnects you from others. This is especially true with the Smartphone because there are no capabilities for multi-player games. Where you could get together at a gaming convention or go online with millions and play World of Warcraft, you cannot do that with the Smartphone. WOW, Second Life, and other similar games can for some be very social activities because they involve communication with more than just yourself. This is not the case with this device and it instead takes you away from your surroundings and makes it hard to interact with others when playing. It can also serve as a distraction during important times where you need to remain attentive. If you are in a meeting or class where you need to be paying attention, the gaming capabilities of the phone can get you off-track. However, at the same time the gaming capabilities can serve as a good way to pass the time in less important situations. If you are in the car, on the train, or the bus and need to do something to entertain yourself you can simply pull out your phone. The game can take you away from your surroundings that may not be that “entertaining” and bring you into the gaming world.
Releasing the user from their surroundings and bringing them into the game is a feature of the phone that allows for the feeling of virtual reality. As said in the definition, virtuality “implies a temporary unreliable experience” (Lister 2003). This is exactly what the games on the Smartphone can do. Even though these games are considered virtual the user experiences them as real. The user is actually pushing the buttons or whatever is necessary to play the game which makes it all seem real. You are controlling all aspects of the game. There are many games on the phone that require the user to choose an avatar. In doing so, you are choosing a character and with the push of a button can make them complete any task that may be available in the game. For the time you are playing the game, you are not yourself rather you are the controlling the avatar in that particular game. Along with the feelings of virtual reality being created by the device, the Smartphone also constructs simulation and action through mimesis. The simulation makes the user’s experience seem very real when in actuality nothing that is part of the game exists outside the “virtual” world. As stated before, when you have control over an avatar in the game, you can get the feeling of reality knowing that every move made is under your control. But, as soon as the application is closed or the phone is turned off, the user is returned back to the real world where the simulation no longer exists. These feelings and the experience of virtuality can also be related to another key feature of the Smartphone: the internet.
When you are surfing the web or playing a game on the internet, you are experiencing feelings of virtuality. This is not only with the games that you can play on the internet, but also if you are just simply surfing the web. The Smartphone is a part of the visual technologies that changes our capacity to see across time and space. Its ability to give us access to any information on the web in the palm of our hand is something that is truly remarkable. You can navigate through cyberspace whenever and however you choose. This navigation can be related to another very important characteristic of new media, that of hypertextuality. According to the Lister text, hypertext is defined as “a work which is made up from discrete units of material in which each one carries a number of pathways to other units. The work is a web of connection which the user explores using the navigational aids of the interface design” (Lister, 2003). The interface design, the phone itself, supplies the web of connection (the internet) and allows the user to navigate across the web. Each website can be just as easily accessed as the next no matter where you are or what you are doing. This navigation is made even easier with the keyword feature of my device. By simply typing in a keyword, you can jump to data in many different locations without having to take any steps in between. The keyword function gets the most use in search engines like Google and Yahoo. Both accessible from the Smartphone, the user has access at all times to the many features that the search engines have to offer.