I cant live without my mobile phone!

is what I often hear people say as

they lament about how mobiles have become an indispensable part of
their lives. The blurring of personal and work lives brought about by the
device are posing challenges to many.
The all so common sight of heads bent, eyes staring intently at mobile
screens and ngers busy tapping away repeats itself across ma!or cities
around the world. "henever there is a moment to spare while on the
train, ta#i or waiting in a $ueue, people busy themselves with their mobile
devices. %ome even confess to checking in with their phones while out on
a date!
%uch unhealthy obsession with mobile devices is disrupting how we
appreciate the little things in life or miss the moments that matter. The
truth is that technology overall should be seen as a tool to enhance our
way of living and not as a backll for the good things that we as humans
naturally en!oy.
&obile phones have certainly made a signicant impact on our lives, but I
truly believe its for the better.
Its changed the way we communicate, whether for work or play. "e are
now less constrained by time and geographical location. "ith my mobile
device, I can dial into conference calls while stuck in a tra'c !am, or reply
to urgent e(mails while on the go. I can send a te#t message or share
photos and videos with friends who arent living in the same country. &y
phone calendar keeps my life organised, and even )acebook, Twitter, and
instant messaging are now accessible from mobile devices!
%martphones are more than !ust a means to stay connected* they are also
a key source of entertainment. The game of %nake was one of the rst
mobile games that I got hooked on way back in the +,,-s. Today, the
markets .ooded with mobile apps / were so spoilt for choice! 0nd its not
!ust games. There are apps to help you nd your way around literally
anywhere, apps that let you listen to your favourite music, apps to book
cinema or concert tickets, and even apps that teach the alphabet to
toddlers.
The mobile revolution isnt !ust changing the lives of urbanites like myself.
I know of a young 1angladeshi woman named %hompa 0khter who has a
passion for fashion and design. %he dreamt about starting her own
business and she did !ust that, opening a bouti$ue in 2ushtia featuring her
own creations. 3ealing with suppliers in di4erent towns was a hassle for
%hompa / purchase orders had to either be hand delivered or mailed out
to suppliers. %hompa also found it tough publicising her business to
potential customers outside her town.
1efore using a mobile phone, %hompa had never heard of e(mails! The
technology intimidated her and she was sceptical about how a mobile
phone and e(mail could help her business. 1ut once she got the hang of it,
she was hooked. &obile e(mail is a blessing in her life. The 56(year(old
entrepreneur now stays in touch easily with her suppliers.
I hear inspiring stories like %hompas from so many other countries.
Teachers, like 7dna 8as and Imelda 9onte!os from :igao 7ast 8entral
%chool in the 9hilippines, have brought lessons to life in the classrooms by
downloading multimedia content via smartphones using the Te#t5Teach
programme and linking it to television screens to show to their students.
)armers, like 7di %ugara 9urba in ;orth %umatra, Indonesia now have
access to weather information critical to crops. "ith the information
gained through his mobile phone, 7di can $uickly decide how to best
protect the co4ee and oranges he grows. <e also gets information on crop
prices to help him negotiate better and decide on how to price his crops
competitively.
"ho would have thought that mobility could e4ect such monumental
change= It shouldnt really be a surprise though. Information is
empowering. >ust ask %hompa, 7dna and 7di.
%till, close to si# billion mobile phone users dont own a smartphone.
0nother ?.5 billion people dont own a mobile device at all. The mobile
revolution is here but there are still many out there who have yet to
e#perience its benets. "eve only !ust begun.
%ource@ Aeaders 3igest, 0ugust 5-++.
;0&7 @7dianisBan 1in 0tan %C+?-65D20"%-E
1ased on the te#t, make notes on The benets of mobile phones.
Communicate ( Its changed the way we communicate, whether for
work or play. 8an dial into conference calls while stuck in a tra'c
!am, or reply to urgent e(mails while on the go.
Text message or share photos and videos ( 8an send a te#t
message or share photos and videos with friends who arent living in
the same country.
Social media ( 9hone calendar can keeps life organised, and even
)acebook, Twitter, and instant messaging are now accessible from
mobile devices.
Entertainment ( its not !ust games. There are apps to help you
nd your way around literally anywhere, apps that let you listen to
your favourite music, apps to book cinema or concert tickets, and
even apps that teach the alphabet to toddlers.
Publicising ( 0 young 1angladeshi woman named %hompa 0khter
who has a passion for fashion and design. %hompa also found it
tough publicising her business to potential customers outside her
town. &obile phone and e(mail could help her business.
Learning FTe#t5Teach programmeG ( Teachers, like 7dna 8as and
Imelda 9onte!os from :igao 7ast 8entral %chool in the 9hilippines,
have brought lessons to life in the classrooms by downloading
multimedia content via smartphones using the Te#t5Teach
programme and linking it to television screens to show to their
students.
Internet ( )armers, like 7di %ugara 9urba in ;orth %umatra,
Indonesia now have access to weather information critical to crops,
$uickly decide how to best protect the co4ee and oranges he grows
and also gets information on crop prices to help him negotiate
better and decide on how to price his crops competitively.
%ummariBe the te#t above in not more than 80 words.
&obile phones for the life management better. Its changed the way we
communicate, either for work or play. Its bring benets such as
communicate, te#t message or media sharing, social media,
entertainment, publicising, learning and other internet purpose.
0lmost si# billion mobile phone users dont own a smart phone while
another ?.5 billion people dont own a mobile device at all. The mobile
revolution is here but there are still many out there who have yet to
e#perience its benets.
F H- wordsG