The document discusses the evolution of mobile phones and the rise of the "digital multitasking generation." It describes Martin Cooper's invention of the first portable cellular phone in 1973 and the introduction of the DynaTAC phone in 1983. As mobile phones became smarter with internet access and apps, people increasingly used their phones to accomplish multiple tasks simultaneously. While some see this as advantageous, others warn that overuse of multitasking could impair concentration. The document examines how smartphones like the iPhone 4 and Blackberry Torch are marketed based on their ability to enable constant multitasking.

1. The Multitasking Age of
Mobility:!
Man’s Continuous Desire !
to !
Do More with Less
By Sally Giffin
Flickr ~ Phil Roeder

2. In following the evolution of the mobile phone it is possible to mark the
emergence of the digital multitasking generation

3. Martin Cooper designed the first portable cellular phone in 1973
Fred Benenson ~ Flickr

4. “Given a choice, people will demand the freedom to communicate wherever
they are, unfettered by the infamous copper wire. It is that freedom we
sought to vividly demonstrate in 1973," said Martin Cooper

5. With the development of the first
“brick-like 30-ounce portable
cellular phone” Cooper worked
towards bringing the mobile phone to
the market
In 1983, the 16-ounce
“DynaTAC phone” was introduced
to commercial service costing $3,500
each

6. The popularity of the mobile phone kick started seven years after the
initial introduction of the “DynaTAC” mobile phone - leading to the
subscription of one million consumers in the United States
Kevin Meredith ~ Flickr

7. As of 2010 96% of the United States’ population
is in possession of a cellular phone
In 2010 26.6% of US households were wireless-only
households
Anonymous ~ Flickr

8. Cooper’s mobile phone marked the beginning of a
new means of communication alongside a growing
global culture working to compress space and time
Mohammad Fahmi Mohd Shah ~ Flickr

9. The first portable cellular telephones brought mobility to daily life –
however the portable cell-phones we use today have far surpassed the
initial goal of ‘mobility’

10. The ‘Smartphone’
What is it?
Orange France ~ Fickr

11. The smartphone has often been defined by certain innovative features…
Capable of placing calls on a cellular
network
“High-level” mobile operating system
Mobile browser for surfing the web
Apps
Mobile & Portable
QWERTY keyboard or touch screen
version
Ken Ilio ~ Flickr

12. The endless possibilities smartphones have to offer have stimulated the
‘digital multitasking generation’s’ continuous desire to accomplish more with less
Jimmy’s Classic Drive-in ~ Flickr

13. It has not only been the multitasking quality of
smartphones but also the sheer size of these devices that
has lead to their growing popularity
“A smartphone must fit in a
person’s pocket… As the spectrum
between smartphone and laptop
continues to be populated with new
devices, the lines are blurring”

14. Smartphones are marketed based on their ability
to cater to our multitasking needs
iPhone 4 Versus
Blackberry Torch
Abdulla Aldosari ~ Flickr

15. iPhone 4
“Enables multitasking for all apps,
allowing you to quickly switch between
applications and everything is exactly as you
left it”
“Multitasking – Give
everything your undivided attention.
Use multiple apps at the same time
without sacrificing performance or
battery life”

16. Blackberry Torch
“Put more of your life
on your Blackberry
smartphone with games,
social networking, themes,
“All-in-one design”
productivity apps and more”
“The BlackBerry
“Mobile Streaming
Torch browser is – News, clips and music
completely revamped, on the move”
with pinching and
zooming, tabs that let
you swap between
“Expandable memory:
web pages and more”
more of what you need”

17. It seems as though the actual phone function of these smartphones has
become secondary to the enormous array of alternative means of communication
they have to offer
Yuri Gonzaga ~ Flickr

18. So… What of the digital multitasking
generation?

19. “Some researchers regard the
new era of digital multitasking as
an advantage while others warn
that such cognitive juggling could
lead to loss of the ability to
concentrate and cause mental
restlessness”

20. Works Cited
Apple, 2011, iPhone 4, http://www.apple.com/ca/
iphone/
Blackberry, 2011, Torch 9800 Smartphone, http://
us.blackberry.com/smartphones/blackberrytorch/
Business Insider, 2011, A Visual History of the
Mobile Phone, http://www.businessinsider.com/
complete-visual-history-of-cell-phones-2011-5
CITA Advocacy, 2010, U.S. Wireless Quick Facts, http://
www.ctia.org/advocacy/research/index.cfm/aid/10323
CNN, 2010, In 2010 What Counts as a Smartphone? http://
articles.cnn.com/2010-10-18/tech/
smartphone.definition_1_smartphone-windows-phone-
mobile-browser?_s=PM:TECH
Martin Cooper History of the Cell Phone, Martin
Cooper talks about the first cell phone call, http://
inventors.about.com/cs/inventorsalphabet/a/
martin_cooper.htm
Time, 2006, The Multitasking Generation –
Multitasking in the Digital Age, http://www.scribd.com/
doc/186125/The-
Multitasking-Generation-Multitasking-
in-the-Digital-Age-Highlighted