Literature Review

Mobile phones are increasingly becoming a part of many people’s everyday lives. In his book, Ling (2004, pp 21) states that “Mobile telephony is a technology that is quickly finding its niche. The technology has become reliable and easily accessible.In addition, it has been adopted on a large scale, and it is on the way to becoming a taken-for-granted part of the social landscape in many countries”. Due to this fact, they are raising speculations about the effects of mobile phones on the society. The main issue on this subject is the impact on health, particularly concerning the radiation levels emitted by mobile phones.

In a recent science journal, it is reported that “The current study found that there is possible evidence linking mobile phone use to an increased risk of tumours from a meta-analysis of low-biased case-control studies. Prospective cohort studies providing a higher level of evidence are needed.” (Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2009, pp 5572). This extract from the Journal of Clinical Oncology does not say that the evidence is clearly showing that there is a link between mobile phone radiation and tumours but what it does say is that there is possible evidence linking mobile phone use to the risk of tumours.

Another factor affecting the society is the social alienation brought upon by the use of mobile phones. Sociologists argue that people who use mobile phones are spending more time speaking to other people while they pay less attention to people they are with. This is stated by Ling (2004, pp 177) when he says, “If the mobile telephone contributes to individualization, it follows that the device also plays into our experience of social capital”.

There are many publications and reports from scientists from all over the world linking mobile phone radiation to the risk of cancer but none of them offer hard concrete evidence to back this up. This has led to organisations such as the World Health Organisation not forcing any laws to govern this issue. Other researchers and scientists also argue that mobile phones have a more positive effect on the society than negative. Mobile phones are very useful for communication, security and personal leisure.








References

Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 27, 2009: pg 5572. Available at http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/27/33/5565 [accessed 23 November 2009]

Ling, Richard C. 2004, Mobile Connection: The Cell Phone's Impact on Society. The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive Technologies., Elsevier Science & Technology, Available from: http://lib.myilibrary.com/Browse/open.asp?ID=102862&loc=218 December 2009

My Vark Questionnaire

After completing my Vark Questionnaire, I got the following results:

Visual: 1

Aural: 5

Read/Write: 3

Kinesthetic: 4

After analysing my results, it clearly shows that I lack visual preference. This is reflected by the low score of 1. I clearly have to improve in this area in order to have a well balanced learning style. I'm also colour blind which might be reflected in the score that I got as I tend to avoid visual pictures with a lot of colour in them.

For what I lack in visual preference, I manage to make up for in all the other Vark preferences. The highest score i got is a 5 in Aural perception. Looking at my Vark analysis, it shows that I am balanced between aural, read/write and kinesthetic qualities. According to the Vark website, my score reflects that I am multi-modal.

My SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis Resource Sheet

STRENGTHS

Good research skills and very good background knowledge on the subject that I’m undertaking.
I also learn and understand new things quickly.


WEAKNESSES
Lack of organization and time keeping. Tend to get a bit lazy sometimes.


OPPORTUNITIES

I have access to the latest equipment and I also have the chance to leave with a degree.
I can also get help from fellow students and lecturers when needed.


THREATS

Main threat for me is the social life. I also have to travel from Colchester everyday to attend my lectures and sometimes the train service can get disrupted. This can cause me to be late or even miss certain lectures and tutorials.