Archive for March 18th, 2008

Bluetooth As Social Disruptive Tool?

Published by Babar Bhatti on March 18, 2008 under Gadgets, Mobile Applications

Technology often impacts society in many ways. Some times new technologies such as mobile phones come with unintended consequences. Regardless of whether you like that or not, you need to understand and deal with the change. Ignorance and avoidance is not an option.

Take Bluetooth as one example. The anonymous messaging capabilities using Bluetooth has created a new form of interaction between boys and girls in conservative Middle East. See this story from Marketplace.org’s special report from Middle East. I assume this is valid for Pakistan to some degree as well.

This is a topic with many aspects and view points will vary. However the fact remains that the youth of today have grown up with a whole new set of gadgets. The new modes of communication are part of their lifestyle. There will be applications to capture their attention, advertising to entice them. At the same time rest of the society has to adapt to this change and provide guidance to youth. The parental controls of the past will no longer work.