Mobile phones: A blessing?

by Lakmal Welabada

Often times on a crowded bus a melodious tune is heard. "Hello": A voice would follow the tune. However much the voice tries to whisper, the whole crowd would hear what is being talked. Mobile phones; what a big role they play in today's society?

Mobile conversations that takes place in public, would reveal details about the caller's character, career or business and sometimes even about his relationships. We rarely find a family who does not own at least a single mobile phone today.

In fact some use more than one mobile phone. Whether it's a Director of a top company, a middle class public servant or a street hawker who earns makes a day to day living, everyone has a mobile. It seems that the mobile phone has become part and parcel of our lives. I sometimes wonder how we lived in the past without mobile phones. Mobile phones have become a strength and a blessing.

Apart from 'calls'; 'Short Message Service' (SMS) also play a great role in comes to society. Specially when it comes to romance. Feelings that cannot be said in words are expressed through SMS.

Different types of ringing tones that are available in the digital market are also used as a mode of expressing once feelings. While one uses 'Buddhan Saranam Gachchami' or any other religious hymn in his mobile for his caller to hear, another would use a few verses of love tuned beautifully to express his or her compassionate feelings towards the listener.

This is a good remedy because before you snap at him/her you tend to cool down simply by the lulling tune played before the phone is answered. But how far this will work is doubtful as we cannot fool others everyday. However, a melodious tune would be better than nothing.

There are two sides to the coin. Children using mobiles. Many adults argue that they give a mobile phone to their child on security grounds. True, in a country which has unpredictable situations there's no two words of giving your child a mobile phone in order to trace his or her where about. But, we have to think how mobiles may cause destruction.

A teacher of a leading boys school revealed how he caught a few boys of his class using their mobiles to watch pornography and mini-blue films. However much you try to restrict your children from it, remember nowadays kids are more advanced than you expect, especially with digital technology.

Nuisance calls and SMS which would sometimes lead to break relationships; especially marriages, is another adverse effect of mobiles. So too the probability that the vibrations from mobile phones could cause harm to the brain.

With all the sweet memories, help and aid you get from the mobile, we should not forget the detail bill that knocks at the door at the end of the show. "Aaah...have I talked that much?", would have been the silent words of everybody once the monthly bill gets landed on them. Thousands and thousands of rupees wasted, just wasted!

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