Advent of technology has forced our civilization to run at break neck speed towards new gadgets, often turning the phenomenon into an obsession. Addiction to mobile phones is but a tip of the iceberg. A recent study on Welsh populace strengthens this belief.
Welsh people feel their lives will be meaningless if they do not carry a mobile phone. A recent survey by The Carphone Warehouse has revealed some very interesting and quite engaging statistics about their obsession. For 56% Welsh people, carrying a mobile is a vanity symbol; for 76% it is a prime requirement of life. Not only that, they could sacrifice things like chocolate, tea, coffee, and sex instead of parting with their mobile phones.
A Testing Ordeal
To prove their point, researchers challenged twenty four people to live without their mobile phones for a week. Obviously, people had some interesting things to report. Some felt lost, some felt idle, some frustrated, some felt they are not enjoying their lives, and for some of course it was a relief from daily busy schedule
(What???). After the experiment was over, it was evident that mobile phone is having a great influence on the lives of Welsh people and they simply can’t live without it.
Richard Hobson, area sales manager at The Carphone Warehouse for South Wales said:
It’s interesting to be able to see how much people’s mobile phones really do mean to them. Particularly in Wales where who would have thought we would be more likely to want to give up tea, coffee, chocolate, alcohol or even sex, than mobile phones, if made to choose?
In another experiment by Dr. David Sheffield at the University of Staffordshire, it has been observed that the people all over the world are getting more and more addicted to mobile phones by using them non stop. Preoccupied with them people even lying about how long they use their cellphone. According to Dr. Sheffield, addiction to mobile phones can only lead to stress and irritability among users. In his research 16% of people have been reported developing an irritable behavior in terms of using mobiles. The owners became irritated when asked not to use their phones for a long time.
Tristia Clarke, managing director of The Carphone Warehouse said in a press release:
The results of both the survey and video diaries for Mobile Life highlight the complex relationships that people have with their mobile phones – feelings of choice versus control. We are committed to understanding the needs of our customers and these findings provide a unique and valuable insight that previously we have not had access to; for example, appreciating the simplest of things like how much people rely on the different functions of a phone in their everyday life.
As far as I’m concerned, I live beyond these worldly gadgets. I can very well live without my cellphone for ever. Technology doesn’t control my life.
Sorry can’t lie any longer. Must send a text message to God. Please forgive me!
