The Adoption of Mobile Phone: How Has It Changed Us Socially?

Mobile phone use has changed from a percieved item of luxury to an every day necessity for many people. This study therefore examined how the adoption of mobile phones has impacted in changing the behaviour and attitude of users. Kumasi Polytechnic was used as the study area. A total of 250 respondents were randomly selected for this study. Using indepedent sample t-test and a descriptive case study in which a combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques were used to analyze the data, the study finds positive evidence of positive influence in mobile adoption in enhancing communication is significant. Mobile phone has changed the way people communicate and live by influencing peoples’ life in a wide scope predicated to change society in a larger and deeper way more than its intended use as communication tool. The adoption of mobile phones have some negative effects such as enhancing crime, diversion of attention, increased social anxiety and capturing obscene audio-visuals and these are significant according to the t-test. It is also significant to note that kidnapping with mobile phone is not common in Ghana as this is affirmed by the t-test. Mobile phone has become part of our daily life and efforts should be made to mitigate its negative influences.

INTRODUCTION

One of the most technologically pervasive influences over the past decade has been the mobile phone. Mobile phone emerged as one of the defining technologies of our time and is having an impact on society in terms of creating an informative, connected, culturally innovative, participative, and converging society and on personal life of users in many ways including time use, privacy issues, emancipation, safety, individuality, status and confidence, competence in communications and connectedness, amusing, confidentiality, planned life, time management. The mobile phone has rapidly become an integral and essential communication tool that is being used worldwide. The global cellular phone...