Smartphones and Our Daily Lives (Post 6)

Mobile technology has not only affected how we relate to others and how we receive news, it has permeated every aspect of our daily lives, from the way we work to the way we play. Gone are the days of standing in lines mindlessly staring at the walls or even (gasp) striking up a conversation with a stranger. Doug Gross (2011) says now you can “Chat with a friend. Surf the Web. Check your stocks. Fling birds at pigs. Smartphones, or tablet computers, put an amount of computing power in your pocket that would have taken up an entire room a generation ago. If you can't find something to entertain you for a few minutes of down time, you just haven't downloaded the right app” (para. 13).

Shopping is also a different experience. While people may still visit the brick and mortar store, they use their phone to be their guide in the store. Pulling up mobile coupons and price comparing is a common practice. “There are apps like SnapTell, which gives you the price of books online when you snap a picture of the cover, and Hipmunk for airfares. Going to price comparison sites is nothing new, but having them available in the store is” (Darlin, 2011, para. 16).

References

Darlin, D. (2011, June 08). How I learned to stop worrying by loving the smartphone. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/09/technology/personaltech/09PHONES.html?_r=1

Gross, D. (2011, October 7). 10 ways mobile gadgets have changed our lives. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/07/tech/mobile/smartphones-change-lives/

Smartphones and Accessbility (Post 5)

Gone are the days when people would wait for the broadcast news to let them know what has happened in the world. No longer are people dependent on newscasters to keep them updated on the day’s activities. Smartphones have given people the ability to be a part of any action that is happening, the moment it is happening. The news is basically within a fingerswipe at all times.

This past week, two journalists were killed. (View the memorial here) The story itself was tragic, but rather than hearing about it on the regular news schedule, it was posted to social media and pushed to mobile devices so that people would know to check the different sites. Many people followed the story on their mobile devices so they knew the location of the killer as he was running; they heard the reports that he was dead, and then heard the correction that he wasn’t dead yet. Later, they again received the news that he was dead. All of this happened within an 8-hour timeframe. Because of mobile devices, people felt as though they were a part of the drama as it was unfolding. There was no need to watch a recap of the story on the news because they had already lived it.

Smartphones and Our Relationships (Post 4)

There was a time when being socially connected meant meeting your friends at a movie or fast food place to hang out. Now being socially connected means liking each other’s posts on Facebook or being a part of a group text. Smartphones have caused people to be more connected to the world, but they may be less connected to those in their immediate space. 

Smartphones have changed society because many people no longer view them as a device; they see them as a part of their body. They are never far away from them. In the following article, Alena Hall suggests the signs of a healthy relationship with your smartphone: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/23-signs-you-have-a-healthy-relationship-with-your-smartphone_559d6014e4b01c2162a5b339
If a healthy relationship is not achieved, smartphones can be more of  negative than a positive. With their technological and connectivity capabilities, they are becoming more of a computer and less of a phone. While the purpose of a phone is two-sided interaction, a computer is all about one sided postings. As updates come along and new innovations are realized, it is important that people take responsibility to remove themselves from the computer components and re-introduce the phone capabilities back into their user toolbox.

Technology--Smartphones (Post 3)

 Technology Development

The future of technology is only as limited as one’s imagination. Back when the cartoon show “The Jetsons” was airing, it might have seemed silly that one would be able to talk to someone via video screen, but children in 2015 think it’s perfectly normally to see people when they’re on the phone with them.

Working in tech development will require people to be innovative and bold. In order to overcome naysayers who say that smartphones have nowhere left to go, they will need to look from new perspectives. There are still endless possibilities for what is possible.
Just imagine: 

Technology--Smartphones (Post 2)

Smartphones and Social Media

Smartphones are bringing us the news that we seek in new and different ways, but they are also changing the dynamic of how we interact with our peers. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have become the place to hangout. “Americans spend 2.7 hours each day socializing from our media devices alone” ("Mass Media and Culture Class Blog," 2013, para. 2). In fact, smartphones have become the go-to device, over computers, for interacting on social media sites. An article on Forbes.com discusses these statistics.

Social media is changing the way advertisers target consumers. By using page likes and hashtags, companies are able to gear specific ads to individuals to meet them where they are in terms of their interests. In addition, smartphones allow for geotagging so that ads can target consumers based on location as well as interests. A whole new way of advertising is opening up because of smartphones.

References

Mass media and culture class blog. (2013, April 10). Retrieved from http://mmcasd.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-impact-of-smartphones-in-our-lives.html

Technology--Smartphones (Post 1)

A 2014 Pew research study found that more than half of American adults own a smartphone. Of them, 7% are “smartphone-dependent” ("Mobile Technology Fact Sheet," 2013). You can read the full report here: http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/mobile-technology-fact-sheet/

Since smartphones are so prevalent, it is no wonder that they have had such an impact on today’s media. The news, in particular, have been changed dramatically by the prevalence of smartphones in today’s society. With a large percentage of people owning smartphones, citizen journalists are on the rise, and news outlets are utilizing their input to create their stories. Besides the camera being as good as a modern digital camera, smartphones also have additional features that DSLR cameras do not. Smartphones are equipped with a data network, geotagging, optimized software, location-aware updates, and helper applications (Harrington, 2011).

Journalists and newscasters have entered a new world of reporting in regards to the digital age. Not only have their job requirements changed, but they must also have an enhanced skill set as well. Enhanced skill sets are listed here and here.

References

Harrington, R. (2011, November 10). The impact of the camera phone and citizen journalism. Retrieved from https://www.asmp.org/strictlybusiness/2011/11/the-impact-of-the-camera-phone-and-citizen-journalism/#.Vcfje_lViko

Mobile technology fact sheet. (2013, December 27). Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/mobile-technology-fact-sheet/