Can You Hear Me Now?: The Positive Effects of the Telephone on Society

The invention of the telephone is a revolutionary event in the history of media and communication, and even in the history of the United States. The use of the telephone spread through society quickly and affected everyone, soon becoming a common part of everyday life. The telephone was invented on March 10, 1876 and while four individuals are credited as being involved in the invention, Alexander Graham Bell is most famously known as the inventor. According to ideafinder.com, the first telephone call was placed by Bell to his assistant Watson, “the first complete sentence was transmitted: ‘Watson, come here; I want you.’” While at first the Bell Company (AT&T) ran a monopoly, eventually the company was split into the various phone companies we have today. Today the telephone has become a part of life and almost everyone owns either a house phone or a mobile phone. According to nationmaster.com, in the US 889.952 per every 1,000 people have a main telephone line in use and 728.565 Americans per every 1,000 have a cellular phone in use. The invention of the telephone was ultimately positive for American society because it allowed people to be more social, contact many different individuals, and it is one of the fastest forms of communication available.

While some people would say that the invention of the telephone made America less sociable, it actually made people more sociable. There are a few ways that phones help to keep America social. The phone is used to keep in touch with those who we know, no matter how far away they are. Many would say that a phone call from a loved one means more to them than an email or letter. Being able to hear another person’s voice is almost as good as having them with you. Telephones also make America social because often the telephone is used to arrange a meeting or get-together that wouldn’t happen normally. Also, with cell phones more people stay in touch in more ways than just calling, an example being texting. Telephones also help in emergency and security situations. Someone in trouble can call 911 and get help much quicker than going to a police station or hospital. In emergency situations a person fortunate to have a cell phone could alert someone to help.

In the United States today, anytime, anywhere there are millions of citizens talking on their cell phones. While cell phones have created some negative effects on society, it is a positive aspect, too. Almost anyone can be reached whenever you need them, since they don’t have to be home to have access to their phone. Cell phones themselves have made communication even quicker. Being able to access the Internet, movies, music, and games on a mobile phone has become a new phenomenon. At anytime, anyone with a cell phone can get information without having a computer or an internet hookup. According to Dr. Sadie Plant, “Cell phones have given people a new found personal power, enabling unprecedented mobility and allowing them to conduct their business wherever they go.” Cell phones are so prevalent because they have a positive and almost uplifting affect on society, despite the few fallbacks.

The telephone is a quick, efficient, and generally inexpensive form of communication that is prevalent in American society. Unlike the telegraph, which was mainly used in businesses, telephones are used in homes or as cellular devices, as well as for business purposes. Before telephones, people would have to venture outside their homes in order to communicate with others. Regular individuals could either find another person to talk to face to face or mail a letter. Some individuals that were highly skilled could transmit messages using more specialized forms, such as Morse code. The telephone surpassed all of these in speed and ease of use. As long as a person could afford to have a telephone, they had access to one. Telephones today are relatively inexpensive in America, which makes them very common and available. Since most people can afford some type of phone, it is a form of communication that almost everyone owns. In The Impact of the Telephone on Society, it states that the telephone “saves the time to go to meetings, different work processes are easily coordinated and time as well as money are saved in dealing with customers by phone.” In business situations, the phone helps to make workplaces run efficiently and smoothly. Telephones have really affected society in a positive way because it is a speedy and proficient form of communication.

The invention of telephones had a huge, positive impact on America and its culture and society. From the first telephone call to the next room to millions of people calling and texting coast to coast today, the telephone has changed America. The telephone makes many people more social and allows friends and relatives to keep in touch even when separated by great distances. From the invention of the phone, it became a widely used medium of communication all over America. Telephones are relatively cheap, very easy to use, and an especially quick form of conversing. Without this incredibly useful and prevalent invention, the world would be a much worse place.