Martin Cooper designed the first portable cellular phone in 1973, bringing mobile communication out of cars and into people's hands. The introduction of the "DynaTAC" phone in 1983 started popularizing mobile phones, leading to over 1 million US subscribers by 1990. Modern smartphones allow extensive multitasking through apps and mobile internet, stimulating people's desire to accomplish more on the go. However, some researchers warn that constant multitasking may negatively impact concentration.

1. The Multitasking Age of Mobility:Man’s Continuous Desire to Do More with LessBy Sally GiffinFlickr ~ 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 1973Fred 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 demonstratein 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 StatesKevin 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 householdsAnonymous ~ 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 timeMohammad FahmiMohd 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 systemMobile browser for surfing the webAppsMobile & PortableQWERTY keyboard or touch screen versionKen Ilio ~ Flickr

12. The endless possibilities smartphones have to offer have stimulated the ‘digital multitasking generation’s’ continuous desire to accomplish more with lessJimmy’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 4Blackberry TorchVersusAbdulla Aldosari ~ Flickr

15. iPhone 4 “Enablesmultitaskingfor 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 smartphonewith games, social networking, themes, productivity apps and more”“All-in-one design” “The BlackBerry Torch browser is completely revamped, with pinching and zooming, tabs that let you swap between web pages and more” “Mobile Streaming – News, clips and musicon the move” “Expandable memory: more of what you need”

17. It seems as though the actual phonefunction of these smartphones has become secondary to the enormous array of alternative means of communication they have to offerYuri 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 CitedApple, 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-2011-5CITA Advocacy, 2010, U.S. Wireless Quick Facts, http:// www.ctia.org/advocacy/research/index.cfm/aid/10323CNN, 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:TECHMartin Cooper History of the Cell Phone, Martin Cooper talks about the first cell phone call, http:// inventors.about.com/cs/inventorsalphabet/a/ martin_cooper.htmTime, 2006, The Multitasking Generation – Multitasking in the Digital Age, http://www.scribd.com/ doc/186125/The- Multitasking-Generation-Multitasking- in-the-Digital-Age-Highlighted