Mobile Phones - Devices For Freedom or Amulets of Slavery?

Mobile phones undoubtedly increase our capacity to work more effectively, communicate quickly and enjoy the freedom of responding quickly to personal and professional demands. They are often life-saving as emergency calls quickly alert necessary assistance. Personal electronic devices with more sophisticated visual capacities have further increased our hunger for social interaction, networking and connection. However, what are the negative costs of owning a mobile phone or personal electronic devices?

The answer to this question results in a list of immediately apparent problems, and some more covert challenges which interfere with our capacity to focus and choose in the direction of our dreams. This might seem dramatic so let's outline some of the negative results of mobile phones and then explore more covert challenges. The limitation include:

* Being interrupted 24/7
* Extension of the 9 - 5 working day
* Chastisement by others of being unavailable
* Reduced importance of time-related commitments since excuses are easily communicated
* Avoidance of resolving any conflict of cancelling events by text messaging rather than direct communication
* Increased encroachment of work into personal time
* Decreased tolerance of waiting for information when previously letters would have sufficed
* Immediate conditioned responses to text messages and phone calls, thus interfering with our capacity to be present and attentive to tasks at hand or other people

The list is not exhaustive but clearly mobile phones, if not used wisely, result in overwhelm, interference and guilt at not being available (when we no longer has an excuse). Thus, is the mobile phone a key to freedom or merely an amulet of slavery? Slavery in this instance being the relinquishing of our ability to choose to be present and mindful of what we are doing, instead constantly flitting from one demand to another?

There is also an additional hidden challenge of the mobile phone and more sophisticated hand held devices which equally demand our availability 24/7. It is more existential in nature and relates to the subtle relinquishing of our responsibility for directing our energies in the direction of our dreams. Before the mobile phone, an individual left their home, with a plan of action. (Forgive the generalised example which is for which is for the purpose of argument). Focus was necessary, prior to leaving, to ensure adequate preparation as the individual knew there was no leeway to immediately change plans or obtain associated information since they could not communicate 'on the fly'. With the capacity to change plans quickly or call to immediately access information or materials, the individual no longer has to focus and be mindful at any one instance. They can postpone deciding fully in a focused manner before they set out. It is the potential for 'postponement' that gives rise to the potential limitation. Whilst this might enhance flexibility, it also has the capacity to dissociate the individual from the direction of their efforts. Instead of focusing and meaningfully choosing actions, they become a puppet whose strings are jerked continually by the demand of others. This might even masquerade as reflecting one's indispensability or false sense of being needed. Over time, this dissociation and constant reacting to external demands, lowers the individual's capacity to be present and mindful and reflective at all of what they are doing.

We could argue that we have choice. No-one forces anyone to be available 24/7. Indeed this is true but social and cultural myths impose on the individual to such an extent that their choices are often reduced to 'being available' or suffering the consequences of alienation and segregation as others become irritated at their non-availability. This is not as dramatic as it might seem. Anyone who has the strength to challenge owning a mobile phone, will bear testimony to the social ostracism that results and criticism of being naïve or Luddite.

In the modern world of increasing stress and overwhelm, one's capacity to respond to others' demands for immediate gratification is exacerbated by the potential anxiety that results by resisting it. Maybe it's time to challenge just how much communication is really occurring with increased mobile phone usage. By acknowledging the socio-technical nature of our productive activities, we open up the pathway to integrating both social and technical considerations of a productive society.