Individualism Module 3 Essay

It was a mere 35 years ago that the first call was made from a cellular phone. The invention can be credited to Dr. Martin Cooper and the Motorola Corporation. In 1973 a cordless land line phone was unheard of, let alone a phone that allowed you the freedom to be mobile while placing a call. It is amazing how far this technology has developed and just how advanced these devices have become in such a short time. These devices have opened so many new doors from mobile internet to wireless navigation and can even help to keep a watchful eye on your children. While the invention of the cellular phone may be recognized as one of the greatest inventions ever, one can only wonder what affect this invention has had on the social order in society. The mobile phone has many critics that suggest that the cell phone has single handedly destroyed the social order. While the cell phone has undoubtedly altered the social order, it has opened far more doors in society than it has closed.
For some, it is hard to remember back to a time when the cell phone did not exist. If you needed to get in contact with someone, it was done with a letter, landline call or face to face interaction. If that person was not at home to catch your call, you simply had to try again later. Hans Geser, author of “Is the Cell Phone Undermining the Social Order?” argues that the cellular phone has damaged society’s ability to interact on a social level.
When determining the effect the cell phone has had on the social order, it is important to understand what is meant by social order. According to Wikipedia, social order is a concept sociologists use to describe “a set of linked social structures, social institutions and social practices which conserve, maintain and enforce "normal" ways of relating and behaving.” This is meant to describe how groups relate to one another and interact on a social level.
Geser suggests in his article, that the cell phone has a “potentially subversive and regressive impact of mobile telephony—reconnecting the individual with a smaller, tighter social world, one which is perhaps solipsistic in its concentration on small individual social networks, oblivious to the larger institutional society surrounding it. While his argument shows strong points to support his theory, there are strong points to the latter.

In fact, with all the advances in the wireless industry it is hard to believe that the cell phone has caused a sort of regression in society and individuals interactions. The cell phone allows for much more freedom in communication in a time when individuals tend to be busier than ever. With more people out in the working world, it leaves less time for social interaction. Families and relationships would suffer if it weren’t for the service a mobile phone provides to them. Having the ability to be in contact at the push of a button no matter where you are in the world can only bring people together.

Furthermore, the typical familial structure has seen drastic changes over the 35 year period that the cellular phone has been around. Society has moved from a structure of extended families to a more nuclear structure. The family makeup has gone from a large unit consisting of parents, grandparents and children under one roof to a structure that consists of parents and their children. Families have often moved across state lines leaving behind many loved ones in the process. Families tend to be spread more widely across the nation and even continents. The cell phone has become an indispensable part of the new family structure. The cellular phone helps to bring these families closer together. When face to face interaction is just not an option, the wireless phone is a suitable alternative.
In addition to bringing families closer together, the cell phone offers parents and care takers a piece of mind when caring for children and loved ones. It allows parents to know where there child is at all times. The cell phone allows parents to be with their children when they cannot physically be there. This helps to settle any worry that parents and caretakers may have when they send their child out into t he world. After all, interaction with your child is still a part of the social order, and any device that makes that communication easier increases the overall amount of interaction.

Similarly, the cell phone has lent a hand to many business owners and entrepreneurs. Liz Robbins, an author for the NY Times writes, “Technology, of course, has accelerated this development. As frequent international business travelers can attest, mobile phones have shrunk the distance between land masses, making it like prehistoric times when all the continents touched.” Mobile phones offer something that quite simply cannot be replaced. They make doing business in this great big world seem like working out of your back yard. Having the ability to carry out business with a client across the globe without ever having to get a passport is advancement and an improvement to the social order. The cellular phone allows many businesses and entrepreneurs opportunities they may not have seen otherwise. Wireless phones offer a wide array of programs and business solutions. They allow business professionals the freedom to roam while never missing a prospect. The cell phone expands the range of business and does not limit it to the office. Wireless internet cards allow 24 hour internet access and enables users to take the office with them. The cell phone helps to maximize productivity and profitability in the business world.

While the cell phone has undoubtedly altered the social order, we must remember that times have drastically changed from the time that the mobile phone was created. The cell phone has become a medium in the social order of the modern time. As technology advances, changes in how society interacts follow closely behind. It’s time to redefine the social order and include the cell phone as an integral element. Use of a cell phone has become a “normal” part of societal relations.