KATHMANDU, Jan 27: A BBC article of early 2012 stated that almost half of India’s population has no toilets at home but more people own mobile phones. Especially with smartphones, cell phones have become a symbol of status; it is no longer a necessity to feel connected with the rest of the world.
‘We live in the era of smart phones and stupid people’ as someone aptly put it. We asked a few of our readers for their takes on using fancy and expensive mobile phones.
Sulav Dahal said, “Internet is the source of knowledge in today’s world. With smart phones, information is accessible at all times. Smartphones are convenient and I am planning to get one soon.”
Similarly Ken Subedi shared, “It depends on the profession of an individual, for tech-savvy people like me, smartphone is a need. Smart phones make people smart because with access to internet, one can always get updated,” contradicting the ongoing debate on if smart phones are making people too dependent.
“I am a student from a middle class family so I can’t afford to spend a fortune on stuffs like a smart phone. I am okay with the one I’m using right now, it supports memory card and internet,” said Yogesh Kumar Prasai,” Smartphones are attractive and user friendly but I don’t think I need it, at least for now. Young people buy smart phones just to show off, I think.”
Aashish Bhattarai, agreeing with Subedi, said, “Smartphones have become a necessity in our high-tech world for communication purposes. I need one because of my busy schedule; social media and multitasking on smart phones are a lot easier. They have several features that a simple mobile phone doesn’t and it serves a valuable purpose when I’m using it within the right context.”
Ranjan Ranabhat, however, said he is against the idea of students using smart phones. He hasn’t come across a person who pushes the creative use of smart phones to its limit. The users are usually fascinated with the camera, touch screen and big screen features that a smart phone boasts of. “It has become an asset that denotes the financial status of the owner. Smart phones are smart in the sense that they have left previous phones far behind in terms of features but the adversity of this technical development is that they usually don’t fall in right hands or for right use. They have been limited to entertainment purposes.”
Avaneesh Naman Yadav said, “Smartphones are great. When I say that, I’m not highlighting hidden truths like poor battery life and fragility. Their most unique aspect is that they keep you connected globally. For example; you are outdoors. You see something important. You capture it. But you don’t have computers nearby. There! Your smartphone has 3G and it will upload it for you! I strongly feel that no matter what, the iPhones are the kings of the smartphones.”
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