Gone Mobile: The Advances of Mobile Technology

    I grew up in a small town outside the city limits, and the internet in our home was minimal. I remember using dial-up and praying no one would call while talking to my friends on MySpace. Soon everyone emerged with faster internet, and we were left with dial-up. Eventually, I bought a tablet that served as my hotspot and source of "fast" internet. Here we are in 2022, and my family just got internet with Wi-Fi capabilities in 2020. Can you believe that? While everyone was streaming the interwebs and playing games, I was restricted to my tablet until 2020. That may be hard to consider for someone who lives in the city limits and has had internet for as long as they remember.

    Do you remember when you got your first cellphone? What about a smartphone? I remember getting my first smartphone in probably 2010; it was an iPhone. It was hands down the most incredible piece of technology I owned then. I could listen to music, connect with my friends via text and Facebook or tweet my location at any moment. My current Samsung Galaxy S21 would put my then iPhone to shame. Technology has expanded so quickly that it's almost hard to keep up. 

    In 2022, we can now use our smartphones to do almost anything a computer can do. Companies are creating mobile-friendly websites and applications to capture viewers on the go. Unless you're a student writing papers or working from home where a computer is required, I don't know many people sitting down at a laptop casually scrolling the interwebs as they do on their phones.

Studies show almost 73% of internet users will access the web solely via their smartphones by 2025. That is less than three whole years from now. An estimated 51% of users across the globe use their smartphones to access the web today. (Vogels, 2021) Users can access the internet via their phones, home Wi-Fi, and hotspots at their favorite locations. 

To this day, there is still a digital divide. Adults who earn less than $30,000 per year don't own a smartphone, and 1in10 does not have home broadband services. (King, 2020) Those who rely solely on their smartphones are more likely to use their devices for tasks traditionally done on larger screens. 

    Imagine when your parents looked in the yellow pages to find a taxi or buy a newspaper to see the movie times; it is now all in the palm of your hand. Remember when your math teacher told you, "You're not going to carry a calculator in your pocket." Boy, were they wrong. While I'm still pretty terrible at math, I love the idea of "on-the-go learning." Studies have shown positive results in mobile learning, helping students learn better with proper educational design. (Hwang, 2014) Understanding or analyzing the negative impact of "too much" screen time is essential, even if learning is involved. 

    Over the last few years, we've watched mobile technology mature from basic cell phones to smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and other devices. We can now control our homes and daily lives using Alexa, Siri, Bixby, Cortana, and Google Assistant. You can now sync your home's thermostat, lock or unlock the front door, and view home security footage while away. My favorite feature is seeing what's in your refrigerator while grocery shopping to know what you need to complete dinner. The applications also include voice recognition to allow seamless use for the user. For example, you can say, "Alexa, play my favorite radio station." or "Hey Bixby, when is my next appointment." After several uses, these devices will begin to pick up users' routines and remind them of events in their calendars or when to order a product. We all remember a time we had a conversation about a product and later saw an ad about the product or something similar. Google is known for its somewhat invasive tactics to gain capital for its advertisers. It has helped us in many ways, and we find it annoying in others. 

    While mobile technology is used for learning or updating your home when you're not there, the other advances include things like Virtual and Augmented Reality. Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-generated environment that appears it is real to users. VR gives users the idea that the world they see is surrounding them. Most people think of VR for entertainment as walking in their favorite video game or exploring what-if worlds. Learning facilities have used VR to allow students to virtually explore campuses, perform life-saving surgeries, or train athletes. (Iberdrola, n.d.) Vr can be in three different formats 

• Non-Immersive - virtual worlds are accessed via screens using a keyboard, mouse, or pointer to control the environment. 
• Semi-Immersive - is accessed through a screen or headset but does not incorporate physical movement. 
• Fully-Immersive - is completely immersing the user in a simulated world, including sight, sound, and movement. Users who use fully immersed VR require goggles, helmets, gloves, or sensors to interact. (Sheldon, 2022)

    Augmented Reality (AR) is slightly less immersive than VR. AR uses real-time information such as pictures and videos to add virtual enhancements. Think of filters on Snapchat; the little doggie ears with hearts floating in the air are AR. AR can also help travelers find a restaurant in a new city; it's as easy as opening an app on their phone and pointing their camera on the street to see their options. (What is augmented reality or AR? Definition and examples, 2022)

VR typically requires extra equipment such as goggles, helmets, or sensors attached to your body, whereas AR is used on your phone. Families' can buy VR headsets for fun or download apps that include AR on the device most people already have. 

    Mobile is the new wave and, in my opinion, isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Even as technology advances, new devices and applications will be available on the go. Over the past decade, basic flip phones have become powerful compact computers. We can access almost every website at our fingertips and learn more about our surroundings by pointing the camera on our phones. Most people became more aware of the digital divide when the pandemic limited students to enhance their learning. Some students around the world don't have readily available internet in their homes because it is not available in their area or their parents can't afford it. Those more privileged can access a world those students have no idea exists. That world will continue to grow and advance in ways we can only predict. 

Question:

How has going mobile negatively or positively impacted your life?  

-Jaleesa

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References

        Hwang, G.-J. (2014). Applications, impacts and trends of mobile technology-enhanced learning: a review of 2008–2012 publications in selected SSCI journals. Retrieved from Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gwo-Jen-Hwang/publication/264812987_Applications_impacts_and_trends_of_mobile_technology-enhanced_learning_A_review_of_2008-2012_publications_in_selected_SSCI_journals/links/545e50680cf295b561602c4a/Applications-impact

        Iberdrola. (n.d.). Retrieved from Virtual Reality: another world within sight: https://www.iberdrola.com/innovation/virtual-reality

        King, D. K. (2020, May 22). Forbes. Retrieved from It's Time To Close The Digital Divide: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tmobile/2020/05/22/its-time-to-close-the-digital-divide/?sh=ed619e919b56

        Sheldon, R. (2022, August). Retrieved from Target Tech: https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/virtual-reality

        Vogels, E. (2021, June 22). Digital divide persists even as Americans with lower incomes make gains in tech adoption. Retrieved from Pew Research Center: Digital divide persists even as Americans with lower incomes make gains in tech adoption

        What is augmented reality or AR? Definition and examples. (2022). Retrieved from Market Business News: https://marketbusinessnews.com/financial-glossary/augmented-reality-ar/