Mobile

Buddhist monks give up all earthly posessions but, as you see in the above photo, there are some exceptions to the rule.

Mobile phone use is widely prevalent in the developing world. The mobile phone is a great communication device but it also provides the user a connection to the rest of the world via sms (short message service) or via access to the internet. For many homes, that don’t have a computer or an internet connection , the mobile device provides a much needed pipeline to information about their village and a window to the rest of the world.

Mobile phones in the western world started out as a luxury item due to the fact that most people already had a home phone and wanted a mobile device out of convenience. In contrast, the mobile phone in the developing world has been widely seen as a necessity since many homes are not wired to the global phone system or the internet.

Once mobile phones became widely available, many didn’t have to wait for phone lines to reach their remote communities. They were immediately playing on a level field with those in the developed world that were used to consistent reliable phone communications.

You’re now seeing people in the developed world following the lead of the disenfranchised by eliminating their home phone and choosing the mobile phone as their only means of communication.