The recent three-day Infotech Fair 2004, an annual ritual in the realm of communications, has highlighted the major technological breakthrough in the said sector to keep abreast with affluent countries. Communication as a major economic resource is vital for the development of a country and massive investments are injected in modern technological know-how.

Gone are the days when Red Indians used to send messages by means of smoke or drum-beats or closer to us, the days of OTS (Overseas Telecommunications Service) are gone: in the Sixties for an overseas call in the afternoon, we had to queue up in the early hours to book it at the office situated at La Chaussée street. Nowadays there is a craze for cellular phones, among old and young people alike, as it is conceived to be a powerful tool in the hands of its users. The 3 G technology has cast a mesmeric spell upon the visitors to the Fair. Even Graham Bell in his wildest dreams would not have visualised such a marvel! The world is shrunk to “a global village”. What was conceived as science-fiction yesterday, has become a reality today.

Cellular phones have invaded every aspect of our life. They save time and energy. They are instantaneous and handy. They maintain contact with people and make accessibility fluid and location of places easy. They give us a sense of security and safety especially at a time when there is so much lawlessness hovering around in our fast-changing society. They have also come to the rescue of many hitchhikers, picnickers or mountain-climbers stranded in highly perilous regions. They have moreover elucidated certain crimes. Even in the political battlefield, innovatively cellular phones are distributed to the principal activists on the election day.

But on the other side of the coin, cellular phones are by no means an unmixed blessing. They are a double-edged knife. If misused, they constitute a danger to us. Undeniably, they have revolutionised our social habits of late. A sociologist has succinctly remarked “The more we communicate, the less we communicate”. We pay no heed to grammar and spelling of words provided the messages we sent are understood and decoded. Our life is governed by the small gadget, day and night our ears are stuck to it. We are addicted to it and we are transformed into slaves. Our life is robotised and it revolves round it. We have no time to exchange words of civility. There is no more eye-catching, chance meeting or exchange of smiles. We become victims of cellular phones: we develop anti-social attitudes. We have to endure banal cell-phone conversation. In places of worship, the sounds of cell-phones turn out to be a nuisance. During examinations, they can disrupt the smooth running and can become a source of cheating. In classrooms they are used like toys. Youngsters may lavish their hard-earned pocket money on phone cards. Dates are arranged. In public buildings, posters like “No cellular phones” are pasted everywhere. Very few users will make conscious efforts to be courteous when using them in public. On the contrary, the users will defiantly shout in their phones to the utter dismay of others, just to show off or give themselves an air of importance. In the streets people are seen walking engrossed in their cell phones out of snobbery, heedless of others although some may have it switched off. At first glance, they give the impression of soliloquising. Cellular phones are a source of harassment, obscene messages are sent with impunity to others. Moreover the Authorities show deep concern about the growing number of thefts of cellular phones in broad daylight. On planes (landing and take off) and in banks, cellular phones can upset the computer service. Last but not least, cellular phones are found to be responsible for a great number of fatal accidents. Medical authorities have also sounded the alarm that there is a link between brain damage and cellular phones.

On the whole, we cannot imagine the world without cellular phones. Properly and responsibly used, they can turn out to be a blessing. But they have conspicuously deep repercussions on our behavioural patterns.

By Philip LI CHING HUM