Map as Metaphor: Cellphones, Navigating Our Lives post 1

Cellphones have become a staple in the everyday lives of humans in today's society. New developments have been in the works that could change the way people live. The word computer has been used almost simultaneously when describing the cellphone market today. New technologies have been developed for cellphones that could help users in everyday life, specifically the use of digital maps.

Maps have been transformed into an electronic form for cellphone customers. Not only will people be able to find the places they are searching for, but Google has created a friend-finding system. People have the option of turning on an application which can display your name and current location to other users. By having access to these maps through cellphones, designers and engineers have debated the pros and cons of anyone being able to access information through their phones.

Many positive points have been brought up in regards to this new technology such as the ease of friends being able to stay in touch, parents knowing where their children are and knowing exactly where you are going by the map application.

The negative debate is equally strong. It is easy for someone to find you and information about you whether you want them to or not. By translating maps into an electronic form, it will be that much more simple for people to rely on electronic devices as opposed to human instinct to get people where they need to go. Evolutionarialy, humans have a natural way of processing information that could be hindered by having these maps at their disposal. Losing the ability to process important information in the brain could be a possibility.

Through the use of cellphone maps, customer's lives may be made easier, but privacy and human development as a whole have been debated by the creaters and critics alike.