Cell Phone Use In Public Spaces

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The telephone and communication over distance has been a vital component of the modern world and the cell phone has been the most successful communication technology. Since the first cell phone call in 1983, subscribership has exploded past two billion customers worldwide, surpassing the number of both land line telephones and televisions.
According to the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Associate, there were approximately 340,000 wireless subscribers in the United States in 1985 and by 1995, that number had increased to more than 33 million. By 2003, more than 158 million people in the country had gone wireless. In fewer than 20 years, cell phones have gone from being a rare and expensive piece of equipment used by the business elite to a pervasive low-cost item.

Ten years ago, cell phones were a hot commodity for business people and the wealthy. Now a person cannot walk down the street without hearing a digitalized version of “Sweet Home Alabama.” It is not uncommon for young adults to own a cell phone instead of a land line for their residence. With cell phone usage increasing in the United States, so has the use of cell phones in public spaces.

A study from University of Michigan, published in the April issue of New Media & Society concluded that young adults around the world use cell phones for similar reasons — coordinating plans, maintaining social relations and acting as a fashion statement. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, approximately 41 percent of cell phone owners say they fill in free time when they are traveling or waiting for someone by making phone calls. The same study showed that more than a quarter of cell phone owners admit they sometimes do not drive as safely as they should while they use their mobile devices.

This project documents the ways in which cell phone use has changed the character of public spaces.