Use and abuse of mobile phones
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Shamsher Chowdhury
Let me begin by saying that the advent of mobile phones has been one of the unique features of modern day information technology (IT) technologies. It has been so, for all sections of the people all over the world, particularly those of the business community, traders both big and small. It has given a new dimension to personal communication helping people to be in touch with one another during times of sickness in the family or an emerging crisis. Here in Bangladesh there are yet other specific uses of mobile phones, like monitoring and getting in touch to know the whereabouts of one's near and dear ones during riots and road blocks, vandalism on the streets including the unprecedented traffic jams. Besides, mobile phones also come handy for parents to locate and communicate with their school-going children while they are away. Our streets have become unsafe also due to terror acts like kidnapping of young girls and boys for ransom. Mobile phones, therefore, have become indispensible also for young school, and college-going boys and girls. In Bangladesh like elsewhere mobile phones have also become one of the key elements of communication for law enforcing and the intelligence agencies.
All said and done however one cannot overlook some of the typical abuses of the mobile phones that take place here in this country.
I find it to be heavily misused by our younger generation. I have come across young people talking and gossiping on issues of no consequence. They often talk through out the night leaving their studies. To my mind mobile phones are also instrumental in causing irreparable damage to morals of our younger generation who often use it at random for viewing pornography.
Of great annoyance is also this business of people talking over mobile phones while crossing roads or driving cars. The other day while I was on my way to Gulshan from Dhanmandi when all too suddenly appeared a young man driving his car with his mobile phone in one hand and the other on the steering. Incidentally he was trying to overtake my car through the left side of the road. We narrowly escaped a major accident.
May be I am old fashioned. The other day I met an old friend of mine while taking a walk in the park. At one stage of our conversation we fixed an appointment for us to meet at my residence at a particular time the following day. As I was about to part our ways he insisted that I provide him with my mobile number, should something else came up, so that he can duly inform me of his inability to keep the appointment or reschedule it for another day. He was indeed shocked when he learnt that I did not own a mobile phone. In not too long ago we were as committed to keep our appointment at any one today even if it were arranged days before. Emergencies aside, I feel the truth of it all lies somewhere else, we have lost our grip on self-confidence.
On a different note I was somewhat disturbed when I overheard some one telling the caller at the other end that he was currently out of the city and was on his way to Sylhet or some such place and that he would call him upon his return a few days after. This happened while he was actually standing in front of the mosque in the city from where he had just come out after offering prayers. He could not have done it on a land phone. Indeed in telling lies, misleading and misguiding one another have become a second nature with the aid of mobile phones on one pretext or the other.
As it is, we, Bangladeshis have a habit of talking too much and that too more of nonsense than sense. The other day my wife and I were on our way to Sylhet on a brief holiday. We were travelling in an air conditioned coach. Soon as the journey began I looked back and saw a gentleman talking over telephone to someone in Sylhet literally shouting at the top of his voice.
Most of the conversations rallied round such matters like what food is being cooked, we are now crossing Madhabdi, how is my niece? I shall be there only for two days, so on and so forth. The said gentleman talked right through the five hour journey, for as many as 23 times. Imagine my dismay. Surely there has to be some difference between a bedroom and a tightly closed air conditioned public bus.
Of late I also find yet another kind of abuse of the mobile phone particularly in the context of Bangladesh. Here mobile phones also serve as status symbol. Costlier a phone you own, the more important a man you are supposed to be, like those who own such costly cars like the BMWs, the Toyota Lexuses, the Toyota Prados and the likes. The other day I was talking to one of my friends who had been a teacher for over four decades, he currently teaches O and A level students at home. He told me that one of his young students had reported to him that he had lost his mobile phone costing Tk 16000.Just imagine as to why a young high school-going student should ever own such an expensive mobile. I do not know what to make it. Why should parents indulge in such senseless act of providing such a mobile phone in the hands of an impressionable young man?
This is an afterthought. I had initially decided not to raise this other frustrating aspect of the abuse of mobile phones by our subordinates and household help. The best time to verify my contention is this upcoming Eid- holidays.
They routinely go on leave for an ex number of days, thereafter right a day before the actual expiry of the approved leave of absence they would call you to say that it would be a few more before they are able to return to work. Most popular excuse is either he or she suddenly taken ill or a near and dear one has expired. Formerly it was rather difficult to indulge in such fraudulent acts but for the ready access to the magical instrument.
You see I dare not say too much against this miracle equipment simply because the lobby in favour of it is so strong that I may end up being an object of scorn by the majority. Having accepted that I maintain that there are some real problems amongst a section of the people the way they abuse their mobile phones.
The writer may be reached at e-mail: chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com
Let me begin by saying that the advent of mobile phones has been one of the unique features of modern day information technology (IT) technologies. It has been so, for all sections of the people all over the world, particularly those of the business community, traders both big and small. It has given a new dimension to personal communication helping people to be in touch with one another during times of sickness in the family or an emerging crisis. Here in Bangladesh there are yet other specific uses of mobile phones, like monitoring and getting in touch to know the whereabouts of one's near and dear ones during riots and road blocks, vandalism on the streets including the unprecedented traffic jams. Besides, mobile phones also come handy for parents to locate and communicate with their school-going children while they are away. Our streets have become unsafe also due to terror acts like kidnapping of young girls and boys for ransom. Mobile phones, therefore, have become indispensible also for young school, and college-going boys and girls. In Bangladesh like elsewhere mobile phones have also become one of the key elements of communication for law enforcing and the intelligence agencies.
All said and done however one cannot overlook some of the typical abuses of the mobile phones that take place here in this country.
I find it to be heavily misused by our younger generation. I have come across young people talking and gossiping on issues of no consequence. They often talk through out the night leaving their studies. To my mind mobile phones are also instrumental in causing irreparable damage to morals of our younger generation who often use it at random for viewing pornography.
Of great annoyance is also this business of people talking over mobile phones while crossing roads or driving cars. The other day while I was on my way to Gulshan from Dhanmandi when all too suddenly appeared a young man driving his car with his mobile phone in one hand and the other on the steering. Incidentally he was trying to overtake my car through the left side of the road. We narrowly escaped a major accident.
May be I am old fashioned. The other day I met an old friend of mine while taking a walk in the park. At one stage of our conversation we fixed an appointment for us to meet at my residence at a particular time the following day. As I was about to part our ways he insisted that I provide him with my mobile number, should something else came up, so that he can duly inform me of his inability to keep the appointment or reschedule it for another day. He was indeed shocked when he learnt that I did not own a mobile phone. In not too long ago we were as committed to keep our appointment at any one today even if it were arranged days before. Emergencies aside, I feel the truth of it all lies somewhere else, we have lost our grip on self-confidence.
On a different note I was somewhat disturbed when I overheard some one telling the caller at the other end that he was currently out of the city and was on his way to Sylhet or some such place and that he would call him upon his return a few days after. This happened while he was actually standing in front of the mosque in the city from where he had just come out after offering prayers. He could not have done it on a land phone. Indeed in telling lies, misleading and misguiding one another have become a second nature with the aid of mobile phones on one pretext or the other.
As it is, we, Bangladeshis have a habit of talking too much and that too more of nonsense than sense. The other day my wife and I were on our way to Sylhet on a brief holiday. We were travelling in an air conditioned coach. Soon as the journey began I looked back and saw a gentleman talking over telephone to someone in Sylhet literally shouting at the top of his voice.
Most of the conversations rallied round such matters like what food is being cooked, we are now crossing Madhabdi, how is my niece? I shall be there only for two days, so on and so forth. The said gentleman talked right through the five hour journey, for as many as 23 times. Imagine my dismay. Surely there has to be some difference between a bedroom and a tightly closed air conditioned public bus.
Of late I also find yet another kind of abuse of the mobile phone particularly in the context of Bangladesh. Here mobile phones also serve as status symbol. Costlier a phone you own, the more important a man you are supposed to be, like those who own such costly cars like the BMWs, the Toyota Lexuses, the Toyota Prados and the likes. The other day I was talking to one of my friends who had been a teacher for over four decades, he currently teaches O and A level students at home. He told me that one of his young students had reported to him that he had lost his mobile phone costing Tk 16000.Just imagine as to why a young high school-going student should ever own such an expensive mobile. I do not know what to make it. Why should parents indulge in such senseless act of providing such a mobile phone in the hands of an impressionable young man?
This is an afterthought. I had initially decided not to raise this other frustrating aspect of the abuse of mobile phones by our subordinates and household help. The best time to verify my contention is this upcoming Eid- holidays.
They routinely go on leave for an ex number of days, thereafter right a day before the actual expiry of the approved leave of absence they would call you to say that it would be a few more before they are able to return to work. Most popular excuse is either he or she suddenly taken ill or a near and dear one has expired. Formerly it was rather difficult to indulge in such fraudulent acts but for the ready access to the magical instrument.
You see I dare not say too much against this miracle equipment simply because the lobby in favour of it is so strong that I may end up being an object of scorn by the majority. Having accepted that I maintain that there are some real problems amongst a section of the people the way they abuse their mobile phones.
The writer may be reached at e-mail: chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com