Force for good or bad? Smartphone evolution and our changing relationship with tech

Over the past 20 years, mobile phones have gone from objects of curiosity to an integral part of our lives.

We look back in amusement at those brick-sized handsets, which weighed down their owners in the late 1980s.

But these devices set in motion a technological revolution that, in recent years, has culminated with mini computer-style smartphones sitting in our pockets.

During the past two decades, we've gone from mainstream monochrome handsets such as the classic Nokia 6110 with its chunky stub aerial and pre-installed simple but addictive Snake game to the massive-selling Motorola RAZR.

These have in turn given way, in recent years, to the iPhone, BlackBerry and Android.

But has the growth in Web-connected smartphones been a force for good or for bad?

With so much of today's society always connected to what the rest of the world is thinking and saying, many argue modern devices have created new problems.

Yahoo! News UK recently reported on the dangers of sexting, a phenomenon on the rise among young people who use their phones to distribute sexually explicit images and videos of themselves to peers or even strangers.

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This week the National Association of Head Teachers raised the issue and warned how parents need to be aware of the dangers of technology saying smartphones and their misuse, including the growth of cyberbullying, are becoming bigger issues which schools must counter.

Other worries raised include addiction, known as Nomophobia - the fear of being away from your mobile - along with health concerns such as muscle strains associated with overuse.

However, Dr Mick Donegan, director of SpecialEffect - a charity helping young people with disabilities - said smartphones have proved a force for good for those with impairments, especially because they are now so mainstream.

Dr Donegan explained: 'What is important is a smartphone like an iPhone is a device everyone uses. It is not a special needs device. Therefore it is a good deal cheaper than a specialist product and it is wonderful because you do not look different when you use it.

'People are also now designing apps with the needs of disabilities in mind. Where these have been particularly successful and offered something other devices don't, is for people with a visual impairment. That is the biggest impact they have made.

'There are apps that will let you put your phone in front of an object and it will recognise it. You can go to the cupboard and differentiate between a can of soup and a can of peas.

'The "sound support" for navigation to speak to you if you're lost is also a major asset along with being able to read out text or having speech recognition, so there is no need to use keyboard.'

Earlier this week, a study by YouGov suggested nearly half of all UK mobile owners use a smartphone.

The report revealed Apple’s iPhone leads the way in smartphone ownership with close to a 30% share of the market. It also showed how both Samsung and HTC have increased their share to 20% and 17% over the past two years while BlackBerry's share has dropped to 17%.

According to the research, in the next 12 months, smartphone ownership is only set to rise by a few per cent, taking it to around 55%, pointing to many Brits holding on to older-style feature phones because they do not yet see a smartphone as a necessity to get the most out of their life and work.

Four in 10 admitted to YouGov that they do not need a smartphone or said that the handsets were simply too expensive.

It also predicts further growth in apps which will continue to drive the smartphone revolution.
John Gilbert, consulting director of YouGov’s technology and telecoms team, believes: 'Smartphone features, such as the wide variety of apps, need to be communicated more effectively, as they will play an increasingly crucial role in handset selection in future.'
Another study by PR agency Ketchum, however, does suggest Western consumers are becoming 'desensitised' to advances in new technology and look set to hit back against handsets getting overly complicated.

Three quarters of those questioned for the Ketchum Digital Living Index said they were not very satisfied by technology’s ability to make their life simpler and half wanted it to be easier to use.

In Britain, only 80% admitted to liking or loving their smartphones compared to 94% of those quizzed in China.

Esty Pujadas, partner and director of Ketchum’s Global Technology Practice, said: 'The most surprising finding in the study is the overwhelming desire for simplification. It seems counter-intuitive when technology is always about being bigger or better or faster, but the data show that what people really want is to understand how all of these devices can get them to their desired experience easily.

'Manufacturers need to use less so-called jargon monoxide and communicate more about the human experience, not just about the object.'

In a nod to how important smartphones will be to the future, research from Ford suggests people constantly see them as becoming more and more integral.

For example, one response to the car giant's call for futuristic smartphone ideas included: 'I want to wake up and use my phone to turn on the heating in the car, and de-ice the windows, ready for my drive.'

Ernest Doku, mobile expert at uSwitch.com, agreed saying: 'Smartphones have gone from a luxury gadget to an integral part of daily life for millions in just a few short years.

'Contactless payments, email access and apps mean the average person is more reliant on smartphones than ever before.

'But high-end doesn't have to mean complicated to use, quite the opposite in many cases. Smartphone users want a handset that is intuitive and easy to navigate without the need for a manual. They want to be able to switch on and start browsing, texting, or calling without delay.

'This balance of cutting edge and basic – thanks largely to breakthroughs like Google’s Android introducing cheaper devices - has seen the barrier to entry lowered, meaning that the smartphone has shifted from elitist device to an always-connected way of life for many. This is undoubtedly a positive thing.'