Moving further into the 21st century, mobile phones have become a part of our lives. They are bridges with our foreign friends at the other end. They are businesses between big companies. They are saviours of victims in accidents. Today, they are even radios, music players, cameras etc. As what we have predicted, mobile phones serve many people well. But out of our prediction, mobile phones are also invisible killers, killing three important treasures of people.
The first victim may be our language. When writing letters or talking face-to-fave, we will use formal language with our bosses and informal language with our friends. What about when sending messages by mobile phones? The selling point of such a function should be instant, fast, and convenient, but not a new and troublesome language. What is meant by “nvm”? Is “wif” really a word? Are “lo1” English letters? In the world of mobile phone messages, they are actually “never mind”, “with”, and “laugh out loud”. No matter who invented these words, once you have learnt them, the original correct language system will be destroyed. Many teachers in Hong Kong complain that students always use the informal short forms in their compositions. Such words in emails also make many servers and clients develop unclear relationships. As people are too reliant on mobile phone messages, the terrible language was born and the traditional language was gone. Especially when mobile phones are becoming more and more popular among the next generation, the language basis of the whole society is going further and further away from solid.
The second victim must be our health. Mobile phones have already been proved to give out radiation. If the users always put the phones near the brain, hang them in front of the chest, or keep them in the pockets of trousers, the users may receive a large amount of radiation. These kinds of waves may not only kill some of our body cells, but also cause cancer. The problem is not that serious originally. Yet, while killers are coming closer and closer to our lives, our health is facing a larger danger. Apart from that, nowadays many companies make fake mobile phone batteries to earn money. Similar fake products are all over the market. Although they are much cheaper, they are very unsafe to use. There are many cases in which batteries explode when the users are talking on the phones or just keeping the phones in their pockets. Is it worth buying mobile phone products with our health and safety? Even if the danger is avoidable, if we have to live with mobile phones, our health will always be in danger.
Moreover, when we are saying that mobile phones speed up the pace of life with their functions, they are virtually killing our time with their drawbacks. The newest version of mobile phones include functions of photo-taking, music-playing, internet connection, dictionary, games, calculator and so on. It seems to be convenient to have so many functions in one small device. However, because of the same reason, mobile phones will easily be abused, which may kill our time unknowingly and gradually. Many busy citizens will play phone games to release their daily tension, but most of them will find time lost later on and become even busier. Walking on the street, we can easily find people nearby bus stops playing phone games, listening to music in phones, chatting with friends on the phone. Hi-tech devices will always make people addicted. It is fine to relax during the waiting time, but people seem to do such things also during their working time. This is because the users are too absorbed in the functions of their mobile phones and forget about their original schedule. Overdoing one thing is always an act of time-wasting. If we cannot control ourselves, having a multi-function stylish cell phone is just like walking into a cyber centre, where we will be addicted easily.
Language, health, time are all important treasures to humans. Mobile phones are helpful but are at the same time dangerous. They have their advantages but also negative effects. It depends on the one who uses them. Wrong use will turn the saviour to a killer. Think twice when sending a message. Know the danger behind the lovely helper, and do not let the device control you.