Connectivity Across the World

In Smart Mobs: The Power of the Mobile Many, Howard Rheingold presents a case for the emerging importance of technology, specifically the use of Short Message Service, in the formation and coordination of unified masses. Despite the fact that these groups – termed “smart mobs” by the author –demonstrate a plethora of diverse objectives, they are united by the (radical) ways in which (coordination) is achieved. Rheingold presents several examples of significant smart mob movements, such as the assembly of tens of thousands of anti-Estrada Filipinos in 2001 or the highly-tactical maneuvering of demonstrators at the “Battle of Seattle” in 1999. The outcomes of these gatherings – the peaceful overthrow of President Joseph Estrada and the disruption of World Trade Organization talks – indicate that today’s technologically-assisted methods of “swarm strategies” are indeed important considerations for politicians, militaries, organizations, and citizens alike.
In the modern world, the cell phone has become one of the most effective means of communication. The cascading effect of this, of course, has been the implementation of cell phone technologies into countless facets of everyday life. From joke-sharing to advertising, the cell phone has changed the ways, and speed, in which we live our lives. Rheingold captures this in his article, highlighting SMS’s effect on an abnormally large scale. As he indicates in the latter part of his article, the emergent properties of swarm systems is potentially reflected in the evolution of the cell phone into an instrument of massive social networking – both for good and for bad. In essence, the development of cellular technology has progressed far beyond the visions of its creators based upon the morphing cultural climate of our world today.
Whereas the author focuses on events that are, to some extent, outside of the individual reader’s life (such as the use of global positioning for the military or the utilization of SMS for the organization of a protest group), he does not fail to mention emerging technology’s presence in the day to day lives of people around the globe. For example, he briefly discusses “interpersonal awareness devices” such as the Lovegety keychain device that was introduced in Japan in 1998. Since then, the world has witnessed the invention of diverse applications that enhance communication, such as the introduction of GPS technology or the growing force of SMS marketing. Today, a cell phone user can employ an application such as Loopt to determine her friends’ positions to within thirty feet – a capability that one could hardly have dreamt of years ago. (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/14/BUGMMMC1KE1.DTL) Another possibility over which advertisers have lusted is the potential for SMS marketing; from coupon distribution to the notification of special sales, companies are taking advantage of the cell phone’s proximity to its user. Already, text messages have been used to send offers and promotions to potential customers in malls or small localities.
Finally, Rheingold’s reflection on the cell phone’s ability to coordinate group behavior is epitomized by the inception of emergency text message alert systems at college campuses across the country, including the University of Notre Dame. Similar to the ways in which text messages were used to coordinate movement during the “Battle of Seattle,” these systems alert students of danger on campus in order to prevent their usual congregation in classroom buildings and other structures.
As the use of cell phones continues to grow across the globe, it is no surprise that its capabilities are expanded and developed to enhance the ways in which we live. The quickest and, arguably, most reliable form of communication, it is the perfect instrument for transmitting a message; whether that be the announcement of a promotion, the warning of a danger on campus, or the disclosure of a time and place for a protest, SMS and related technologies surely indicate a dramatic shift in the ease of connectivity across the world community and the ways in which such changes affect every aspect of our lives.