The Ringing in Taiwan the Advantages and Disadvantages of Cell Phones

The Ringing in Taiwan: the Advantages and Disadvantages of Cell Phones

How Can we get the best out of this gizmo?

Shu-ping Tseng Pearl , August 13, 2006

An episode about cell phone

One day , when I was washing my hands in a public restroom, a lady next to me at the sink said, “Hi, how are you?” I said, “Hi, I’m good. ”She said, “How’s Bob?” I said, “Who’s Bob?” She looked at me like I was stupid, and that’s when I noticed the earpiece from her cell phone.

Outline:

the prevalence of cell/mobile/PCS phones in Taiwan
the convenience that cell phones bring to our life
the disadvantages that cell phones brings to us

(a)the personal privacy being invaded

(b)the influence on youngsters ( of my country )

(c)the examples of social crimes(via cell phones) happening in Taiwan

(d)the environmental issue caused by cell phones

How to make the best use out of the cell phone?

(a)cultivate “cell-phone etiquette” ( refer to 3. (a) )

(b)to instruct youngsters the positive attitude to use the cell phone

( refer to 3. (b) )

(c) how to cope with an accidental event conspired by mobile-phone con men ? ( refer to 3. (c) )

(d) What can we do to reduce the harm that caused by the cell phones? ( refer to 3. (d) )

5. conclusion

The Ringing in Taiwan: the Advantages and Disadvantages of Cell Phones

How Can we get the best out of this gizmo?

Shu-ping Tseng Pearl , August 13, 2006

Once limited to a prosperous few, cell phones now have rocketed into ubiquity in Taiwan. Nowadays, the prevalence has covered from elementary pupils to retired grandparents. Wherever you are--- on the vehicles or in the restrooms, on the road or in the restaurant, you have the chance to hear variety of cell-phonesringing from different brands.

I have read a piece of advice about how to initiate a conversation with a first-met fellow. “The best way is to ask him/her something about the cell phone (PCS) he/she uses”, reported the Taipei City Express.

Well, like any other technologic device, cell phones do bring much convenience to modern people. It enables a business man/woman, for instance, to conduct one bargain after another during only ten-minute walk to his/her office. To some occupation, like sales representatives, delivers, reporters, stockbrokers, insurance workers, it is even indispensable to those people’s day-to-day life. As for a wide range of the users, this nimble gizmo is a super high way to convey consideration and love to one another. When some emergency happens, it serves as the first aid to help connectrelevant personnel, in the blink of an eye.

However, it also brings us some disadvantages. In the first place, just because it enables people to communicate almost anytime anywhere, it probes a potential for people to be disturbed, anytime, anywhere. For example, seldom does one never be disturbed ( sometimes, electrified) on the MRT by a sudden ring or a blatant ‘conversation’ with only one-part

monologue. Even if the speaker volume down his/her voice, it’s hard for anyone in the vicinity to keep his/her already pathetic, little privacy intact until the ‘conversation’ is finished.

In the second place, some youngsters are so addicted to the new-trendy phone that they are easily distracted from their schoollearning. They exchange messages, playgames, browse to commercials, talk to friends,or take pictures even right in the course of the class, which not only influences their academic performance but also impairs their physical development to certain degree, let alone the bill that their parents have to pay. A research even proves that the radiofrequency energy emitted by the cell phones is harmful to human being, especially for the young users. (UnitedKingdom government’s Independent Expert Group on Mobil Phones, May 11, 2000).

Similarly, students’ degrading writing ability is partly attributed to the frequency of using short messages through this modern design. ( World-Watch,2006)

What’s more, the most beneficial point of cell phones, to facilitate the communication, may become the most useful tool for crime committing. Fraudulency by means of cell phones is so rampant that it keeps being reported from time to time. In my school, every one of two colleagues has ever been informed that his/her son has been kidnapped though some of them has no son at all , or not even married yet and then comes out a piercing S.O.S cry from the “son”. And if you are in Taiwan, it’s no news to be notified via your mobile phone, that you’re going to be refund a large sum of money from ‘the national tax bureau’ before you make some ‘procedure’ in front of a drawing machine. A stunning example may be the news broadcast three years ago, that a nun was swindled by 80 million NT dollars by the same trick. Sometimes the real news on TV is more incredible than the plots on popular series!

Last but not least, the waste produced by the discarded cell-phonesaccelerating by their rapidgrowth poses sever problems to the natural environment either at landfill or when it is burned because it has toxic chemicals, which have been associated withcancer and neurological disorders. (The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, 2006 ) Before a more harmless material is introduced to make this magicalwidget, our environment may suffer from another stroke of damage.

Therefore,taking into account all these factors that I have outlined, how can we strike a balance, get the best out of the PCS phones ,and offset as much as possible its disadvantages?

First, we should view the “cell phone manners” as a compulsory modern etiquette. When intruding the right of other peoples in the vicinity, it stands a sound reason to keep the phone mute and consciously minimize the volume on the speaker’s part.

Second, when it comes to connecting and remaining friendship, youngsters should be encouraged to do more healthful activitieslike out-door exercise or team-sports rather than talking to the PCS, exchanging short massage, playing games, etc. on the palm-held screen. We teacher and parents should instill the youngsters the conception that

PCS (cell phones) is supposed to be used under imperative situation rather than overuse it, or use it at the expense of their school learning.

Third, it is inevitable and universal that high tech promotes the maneuvers that con men use or vice versa. There is no telling when or how one will bump into a sly shark in today’s society. Since many confidence men /con men take large advantage of people’s greed or compassion, maybe what we can do is just keep more conservative and keep calm if confronting an accidental event.

Fourth, when buying a cell phone, we can look for one with labels that indicate the product meets certain standards for minimal toxic content, low emissions, or easy recyclability. Once it is not being used, recycle it well, or even donate it to some charitable institutions. The Charitable Recycling Program is one of them.

To sum up, like one sword with two sides, cell phones per se has neither harm nor good; it’ s the way we use it that makes it good or bad. There may be thousands of way that contribute to the positive end. However,from privacy respect to environmental issue, nothing could be accomplished without everybody’s practice. Only when everyone devotes his /her effort will we enjoy this magical gadget to its fullest effect!

In - text Citation:

“Just the Fact.”The United kingdomgovernment’sIndependence Expert Group on Mobile Phones. 11 May. 2000

[ the fact.htm.> ]

“Good Stuff? Cell Phone.”World-Watch. 2006.

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“Study: Cell Phone West Harmful.”The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association. 2006.

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“Toxicity of Cell Phone Waste.”INFORM report. Nov. 2006.

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