Globalization and Smart Phones: Society and Culture Report

This report examines the significant role of smart phones in fostering globalization, analyzing their multifaceted impact on society and culture. It begins by highlighting the widespread adoption of smart phones globally, emphasizing their evolution from basic communication tools to devices offering a wide array of functions such as texting, email, social media access, online shopping, and mobile banking. The report then details the various features and applications of smart phones, including barcode scanning, GPS, video chatting, internet browsing, currency conversion, entertainment options, educational tools, and job search applications. The report further explores the usage patterns and preferences of smart phone users in Australia, identifying popular brands and models. It then delves into the manufacturing process of smart phones, addressing the environmental and social consequences of production, including e-waste generation and labor conditions. The report also analyzes the effects of smart phones on societal structures, including both positive aspects like enhanced brain functioning and negative aspects like reduced physical contact. The report concludes by examining the economic implications of smart phone trade, highlighting its contribution to economic growth, international trade practices, and the benefits for both smart phone companies and governments involved in the trade. The report references relevant literature and provides a comprehensive overview of the subject matter.

RUNNING HEAD: SOCIETY AND CULTURE
Society and culture in globalizing world

SOCIETY AND CULTURE 1
The discussion focuses on the understanding the concept of globalization via ‘Smart Phone’. It
emphasizes on the role of smart phone in fostering globalization. With the passing years, Smart
phone has become a necessity of an individual. Globally, there are around 2.5 billion users of
smart phones. Initially, mobile phones are designed with the main purpose of calling and texting
(Frontiersin 2019). However, the upgraded technology has given rise to a more functions in
mobile phones. At present, mobile phones are denoted as smart phones as they offer number of
significant functions. Thus, one device provides access to multiple functions. There is high
number of features provided by a smart phone. Globally, around 88% individuals use the texting
feature of smart phone. Similarly, E-mail by 70%, Facebook by 62%, camera by 61%, reading
news by 58%, online shopping by 56%, Whatsapp by 51% and mobile banking by 45%. Calling
is one of the main features of a smart phone. However, only 41% of people use it on a regular
basis (Express 2017).
Despite the above uses, there are many other uses provided by a smart phone. It helps in barcode
scanning. Through utilizing GPS setting, user’s location can be identified. It enables video
chatting and browsing the internet. Through calculator, it enables making rigid calculations. By
using currency converter, financial value of particular currency can also be determined. It also
fulfills the need of entertainment. One can connect to social media and other digital networks. It
is used to watch movies and surf online via browser (Kuznekoff 2013).
It offers variety of inbuilt games for amusing the users. Through its usage, one can also check
date and time. It also provides information based on temperature and weather conditions. Its
camera feature allows capturing the picture and recording the video. It also benefit in recording
audio and other essential information (Kuznekoff 2013).
Despite entertainment, it is used in the education process. It is used for checking facts and carry
out test. With the use of dictionary, one can instantly check the meaning of a specific word. It
can be used for translating a foreign word. One can also learn new vocabulary. With the use of
stopwatch, one can learn time management. Teachers also used it to track the attendance of their
students. With its usage, they also sent essential digital notes to their students. Thus, use of smart
phone in the educational filed make learning more enjoyable. Multiple mobile applications
enhance the use of mobile phones. Through mobile applications like LinkedIn and Indeed, one
can search for new job (Kuznekoff 2013). Multiple people are using the smart phone to book

SOCIETY AND CULTURE 2
tickets, book online taxi like Uber. There are also some inbuilt features of Microsoft word and
Microsoft excel. With its usage, one can develop essential documents. It is also used to fulfill
the food cravings via online ordering. Thus, smart phone usage has a high usage and it has eases
the life of an individual (Walsh 2011).
Australians show highly favorable behavior towards the smartphones. This is because around
88% of the population owns a smartphone. ‘I phone’, ‘Oppo’ and ‘Samsung’ is mainly preferred
among Australians (Hughes 2019). At present, ‘I phone 7’is the most demanded and prevalent
smart phone in Australia as it depicts a status symbol (Walsh 2011).
The high number of mobile manufacturing operations is performed in China and India (Times Of
India 2018). There are number of steps involved in the manufacturing process of smart phones.
Firstly, the manufacturing firm collects all the essential components required in its
manufacturing. These include screen, button, battery and memory. After collecting all the needed
essentials, the next focus is on the design of the mobile. Designing the mobile is a crucial step, as
it has to be made appealing. The next step focuses on installing the software. In order to give life
to the mobile phone, an operating system is installed. After the design is loaded with hardware
and software, the next step is the testing phase. In this step, mobile is checked against the set
parameters. These include bend test, drop test and water test. After thoroughly checking the
mobile phones, it is sent for mass production. Packaging forms the last step in its manufacturing
process (Augner 2012).
Production of mobile phone involve high amount of fume as metal is melted to make its design.
Thus, exposure to such radiation has a direct effect on the people who are engaged in its
production process. Despite fumes, high amount of dust is experienced by the labor in the
production process. Therefore, it directly gave rise to skin infections and other health related
issues. It is also an adverse effect on the environment. The estimated life of a mobile phone is
generally 5-10 years. However, it is only used at an average of 1-2 years Thus, to meet the rising
demand, constant updates are done that result in the development of high e-waste. It cannot be
recycled to a full extent. Therefore, a large part of it is landfilled. This develops the chances of
leaking harmful chemicals into ground water. This has an effect on the life of human and plant
(Augner 2012).

SOCIETY AND CULTURE 3
The production of smart phone has severely affected the society. It has digitally connected the
individuals operating within a society. However, it has also reduces the physical contact among
the individuals. As per the psychological concept, it has enhanced the brain functioning and
eases in reducing stress. It has made the society more updated about the trends, news and
information prevailing within the global environment. Thus, it has led a positive as well as
negative effect among the community (Augner 2012).
It is traded both locally and globally. Its high demand and usage has enhances the sale of the
smart phone all over the world. It has become one of the factors for driving economic growth. It
has enhanced the economic transactions that have ultimately resulted in global economic growth.
It has enhanced the economic practices among the countries. This is because individuals show
high preference towards foreign mobile brands. As discussed above, I Phone and Samsung is
highly preferred among Australians. However, I phone is an American company whereas
Samsung is a South Korean company. Thus, it has increases the trade practices between South
Korea and Australia, America and Australia. These economic practices have indirectly assisted
the countries in developing positive relations. It has also emerged as an element for boosting
globalization among the countries (Cavusgil 2014).
OCR’s Global Trade Control (GTC) is responsible for controlling the international trade. The
same also control the trade of smart phone. The GTC provides the license to the smart phone
companies to enable international trade. It gives them a general export authorization. Global
smart phone brands like Samsung, Huawei and Apple attains an export authorization by GTC.
(Vitali 2011). It also assists the foreign smart phone brands with respect to export restrictions and
regulation set by the international country. It acts as an important aspect in the trade of smart
phones (Shenkar 2014).
Smart Phone Company and Government are the two parties benefitted from the trade. Smart
Phone Company is benefitted as trade gave access to large number of customers. By making
sales on the global channel, they generate more revenue. Despite getting monetary benefits, they
also experience non-monetary gains. By emerging as an international smartphone company, it
enhances the goodwill in the local market as well as in international market. Further, it decreases
their competition in the home country. These are befitted from the aspect of market
diversification. It also lowers their business risk, as failure in one country can be optimized by

SOCIETY AND CULTURE 4
success in other country. Occasionally, they also benefitted from currency exchange or currency
conversion. It also enhances their knowledge about the taste and preference of global customers
(Shenkar 2014).
Government is also highly benefited from the trade of mobile phone. It develops financial gains
for the government on the entry of smart phone company like tariff. Tariff is a form of tax
imposed on import. Thus, it enhances the price of the import of smart phones and reduces its
quantity. It earns finance through import duties paid by the foreign smart phone company. It also
earns via foreign investment made by the smart phone companies. Thus, trade of smart phones
assists the government in fostering economic prosperity of the country. Despite earning
monetary gains, it also benefits the government in acknowledging its population with the new
and updated smart phones prevailing in the external environment (Connolly 2018).
Thus, from the discussion, it is analyzed that smart phones have led a high contribution in
integrating the countries, economic development and enhancing the living standard. Therefore, it
has also contributed in enhancing the globalization within the countries.

SOCIETY AND CULTURE 5
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Augner, Christoph, and Gerhard W. Hacker. "Associations between problematic mobile phone
use and psychological parameters in young adults." International journal of public health
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Rose. International business. Pearson Australia, 2014.
Connolly, Michael B., and Alexander K. Swoboda. International trade and money. Routledge,
2018.
Express. REVEALED: Top uses of our smartphones - and calling doesn't even make the list.
March 13, 2017.
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Frontiersin. Problematic Use of Mobile Phones in Australia…Is It Getting Worse? March 12,
2019. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00105/full (accessed
October 2, 2019).
Hughes , Christopher . Market share of leading mobile device vendors in Australia from April
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learning." Communication Education 62, no. 3 (2013): 233-252.
Shenkar, Oded, Yadong Luo, and Tailan Chi. International business. Routledge, 2014.
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worlds-second-largest-mobile-phone-producer-ica/articleshow/63565476.cms. April 1,
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1, 2019).

SOCIETY AND CULTURE 6
Vitali, Stefania, James B. Glattfelder, and Stefano Battiston. "The network of global corporate
control." PloS one 6, no. 10 (2011).
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