Global System for Mobile Communication(s), popularly known as GSM is the most prevalent mobile communication technology due to its ability to solve numerous communication problems. It has become an important part of so many lives and so hard to live without it to the extent that when lost, it feels like a part of one’s body has left.

Mobile phones have played so many roles in people’s lives; it has reduced stress and created jobs for many. According to a Nigerian Communication Commission, over 1 million “indirect jobs” have been created by the telephony sector in the past 5 years and in the process alleviating poverty. People now sell recharge cards to make profits, make calls at call centers (mobile payphones) which is the reason for the sudden appearance of colorful umbrella sheds in all parts of Nigeria .

The GSM phenomena has not just changed the landscape of Africa’s most populous country, but has transformed it economically, democratically, and socially. Mobile phone subscribers are currently increasing by the day and at a rate of about 25% per year. According to a recent study, out of 140million people in Nigeria, 12.1million own mobile phones and 64million are potential mobile phone users through mobile payphones at call centers.

The rate at which mobile phones have offloaded stress from people in Nigeria is unbelievable. It helps in storing messages that need to be stored; it is fast, easy and reliable in the sense that, calls are easily made with the availability of network. Phone numbers can also be saved so that people will not have to put numbers down in address books or in their brains which may easily get lost or be forgotten. Once a message is sent and is delivered to the recipient, a delivery message comes on to let the customer know that the message has been sent. Also, if one has limited amount of money in his account, one can easily send a text with not more than 160words, which is cheaper. For instance, if a student is broke and needs to get money from his parents, if he has just N15 on his phone, instead of calling and going through the process of greeting the whole family before the purpose for which he called is stated, he can just send a text message asking whatever needs to be asked.

Cell phones also help marketers and travelers in saving the cost of transportation. Marketers now call their customers if goods have arrived for sale and vice-versa. It also helps travelers in various ways like when traveling, and people are expecting you, they can always call you to know where you are, also, if there’s a problem with your car, you can always call your mechanic whom technology today has now permitted to own a mobile phone. Various radio and television programs ask for feedback through SMS and call-in conversation which is now possible because mobile phones have become accessible and affordable.

These days, banking is now done with the help of mobile phones. You can now check bank account balances on your mobile phones; the bank can now quickly alert you if there’s any new development that concerns you.

The world of technology is continuously in flow of advances hence, “the rest of the world is not waiting for Africa to catch up which is why African countries are trying hard to join the global family”. Mobile phones has become like the air we breathe, it keeps us connected. For certain networks, calls are cheaper but for others, due to the severe phone tariffs, they charge high and government can once more show the love they have for their people by lowering tariff.

However, there are few disadvantages of GSM in Nigeria which definitely can be curbed.

Firstly, due to differing incompatible mobile networks, network problems are created, and when receiving a call, it could sound noisy disturbing the purpose of the call.

Secondly, fraudulent people popularly known as 419 could try to dupe people through mobile phones pretending to be someone familiar and requesting for money.

Accidents could also occur when a driver is driving at the same time, making use of his mobile phone. Explosions too are of no exception as filing stations and other sensitive areas could explode due to the use of phones in these areas.

Also, when a phone gets lost, a bad person might use it to track you or make use of your contacts, pretending to be you to the people you know and asking for money, which means that there is no permanent ownership of phones as it is very fragile and if dropped on the ground, information can get lost or the phone might start malfunctioning except few sophisticated phones that can be reassembled.

Other disadvantages are the bad prospect of using mobile phones to watch sex videos, pornography materials and pictures. The most worrisome is the glaring fact that it has broken marriages when partners are caught cheating on their spouses through clandestine and illicit affairs or on mere suspicions.

No doubt, despite the disadvantages, the invention of mobile phones was made possible with painstaking research and the motive of making the world a better and safer place for people to live in. 

Tola Ojo 

tolyng2005@yahoo.com 

Department of Mass- Communication,

Lead City University,

Ibadan.