Monday, January 27, 2020

The Transgender Subculture in Malaysia

The Transgender Subculture in Malaysia 1. Introduction According to a privately-sponsored survey conducted in 2001, there were estimated at least 50,000 transgender people in Malaysia. Other than that, the number of transgendered people in Kuala Lumpur alone was estimated to be 50,000 which show 200 individuals in Malaysia is transgender (Wong, 2005). The study of the transgender subculture mentioned here is an explorative inquiry into the existence and the intricacies of the subject. The objectives of this study is to provide an in-depth look into the transgender subculture usually described by the term Pondan or Mak Nyah, which is much commonly used in Malaysia. Beforehand, pondan is actually a derogatory term for shemales and trangenders, whereas the term May Nyah is from the word mak, which means mother in Malay language. Both terms is used to describe a man who wants to act or dress like woman. Due to peoples limited understanding and misconceptions, some slang is publicly used to tease transgender individuals. In fact, it may cause a lot of negative impacts on them such as decreasing their self-esteem and self-efficacy. Likewise, transgender is defined as a state of an individual gender identity not matching their actual sex which they were assigned at birth, and also takes in cross dressers and transsexuals. Cross dressers are hetero males who like to dress as women on occasion whereas transsexuals is people who are born in one gender but identify with the other. The cause of transgender ideals can be both nature and nurture factors. Biologically, the factors includes differences in how the human brain functions, neurochemical pathways, and the endocrine glands. However, the nurture factor does play an important role to active the inert gene of an individual to become transgender. Sociologist strongly believes that there are influences from cultural and environmental of the local community on transgender (Zhou, Hofman, Gooren, Swaab, 1995). Moreover, transgender had been practiced long ago before it was being identified in 19th century which is 1880s in Germany. During 1886, Richard von Krafft-Ebing which is a German doctor began studying the occurrence of gender divergence. At first, transgender was coined gynandry and later he described it as metamorphosis sexualis paranoia in 1902 which mean a homosexual that truly believed him or herself to be the different from his or her assigned sex. Furthermore, Krafft-Ebing believed that homosexuality was a mental illness and delusion (Hunnicutt, 2004). In fact, the first true pioneer that involve in the field of transgender was Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld which is a gay physician that dedicate himself to the studies on the fields of sex and gender. He was the first to coin the most two popular terms to describe transgender which is transvestism and transexualism (Melville, 2004). In addition, transvestite has become kind of archaic expression and one many transgender people take the exception to.  Transgender is the popular expression of the day. The main problem that transgender face in Malaysia is that they are unable to change his or her sex identity in their identification card after they undergo sex reassignment surgery (SRS) or gender reassignment therapy (GRT) although SRS and GRT is legal in Malaysia. This occurrence shows that government are still not being recognized nor accepted. In religion aspect, Islam strictly not recognized or accepted transgender because they do not allow males to wear womens clothing and they were normally isolated. There are a significant number of transgender individuals who have been treated unfairly simply because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. (this also check see got link or not) According to a recent survey done by National Center for Transgender Equality, fully 42 percent of gay individuals say they have experienced some form of employment discrimination at some point in their lives. However, transgender workers face even higher rates of workplace discrimination and harassment. An astonishing 90 percent of transgender individuals report experiencing some form of harassment, mistreatment, discrimination on the job, or hiding from who they are to avoid it (Burns, 2003). Moreover, activists have estimated there are at least 50,000 transgender in Malaysia, many of whom face widespread prejudice and often cannot find employment (Eileen, 2011).   According to Wong (2005), a journalist from The Malaysian Bar, reported that transgender in Malaysia is still being heavily discriminated, understated and misjudged. They face many obstacles and challenges since community of Malaysia was mired in a mindset that transgender is abnormal and should somehow be treated. There are still many bias and stereotyped toward transgender in Malaysia. One of the ways to decrease and prevent bias and stereotype is through education and help more people understand about transgender. To arrive at a deeper understanding of the transgender subculture, we would discover their social relationship such as their socialization with family, peers, education and workplace. In this study, we have collected our data using questionnaires and face-to-face interview. 2. Results/ Findings 2.1 Participant 1 She is Fazura, this is the name after she decided to become a transgender. Her original name was Faiz, she was a normal male during her high school period and there is a personal reason that she decided to become a part of the transgender. During the interview, she explained that during the age of fourteen to fifteen, one of the vital reasons that she becomes a transgender is that she was hurt so deeply by one of the female during her high school years, till the point she decided to become part of it. She was from an average family which consists of four siblings, and she had two sisters that passed away far early before she was born. After years, she found out that her mother wishes to have a daughter but sadly all of her sisters were not fortunate enough to stay longer. The issue made him to think deeply and give him the encouragement to move further into the world of transgender. Family members could not accept the fact of her being a transgender, but slowly getting used to it and being comfortable around her. And from the family background of her that we know, she is the only transgender individual in among her family and relatives. Fazura would not feel concern about how other looks at her being a transgender or planning to go overseas where people would be more open-minded on transgender. She intends to stay here with her family and overcome her problems. Furthermore, being a transgender, Fazura is being very specific on her daily diet, and will go for jogging mostly everyday to keep healthy and fit. Also, she starts to consume contraceptive pills after she decided to become a transgender when she was twenty. She has to keep this as a daily routine in order to have a feminine outlook on her body. She is also planning on a plastic surgery if her financial condition can support her to do so, but she claims that she will not undergo sex reassignment surgery (SRS) because in the later years, she might wish to become straight as a normal male again. As a minority group of the society, Fazura explained that she will only hang out in place like Sunway Pyramid shopping centre and cafà © only with her group of friends. Most of her friends were transgender and PLU (which means people like us), she felt comfortable around them other than walking alone and face conspicuous sight from the public. Sometimes she might join her friends to have a small picnic gathering in Port Dickson once awhile. And as a transgender, finding a partner is not an issue for her because once in awhile she will meet someone who is similar to her or someone who is interested with her, but keeping a relationship to last long is the difficult part. Fazura mentioned that she had six partners before and were not as faithful as seems. She further explained that in the society of transgender, partners were usually come and goes, they never last long because everyone is seeking for something new and exciting rather than staying with an individual. She sees herself as an open-minded, tolerance and patience person. As a transgender Malay, she prefers to meet a partner that is smart, high moral and can financially support her. It is because they can take her equally in every decision and will not be bias just because she is a transgender. For now, she would not concern about any relationship problem at the moment because she has to focus on her work, she need to support her family and moreover a mother who is falling ill. As a twenty six years old Malay transgender, she now works in the company of Sunway Lagoon as a marketing clerk. She has a stable financial income and a flexible lifestyle, as a transgender it does not have any major negative effect on her career. She is also a part time makeup artist for wedding couple. 2.2 Participant 2 Danny is 28 years old from Malaysia. His behaviors are feminine, fashionable, gentle, and well-mannered. He was raised in Perak and moved to Klang in order to further his study in Pengajian Islam at a local university. He stopped his study after 2 weeks because he felt uncomfortable to continue his study due to his shemale identity which is against his religion (Muslim). Currently, he is working as a makeup artist in an international makeup company in Shah Alam. From his past experiences, Danny explained that he changed himself to shemale because of the external environment he was raised and influenced. During that time, the people around him often said his appearance look like a girl. She also used to play makeup and girl thingy when he was young. This is why he wanted to transform into shemale. But, when he decided to become a shemale, his family members could not accept his decision however, as time passes his family slowly accepts who he is. At the age of 25, he decided to transform himself from shemale to gay by stop consuming hormone pills and stop dressing up like a woman. The reason why he transforms himself is because: Firstly, after his mother passed away, he does not want his brother feel embarrassed about his identity. Secondly, his company does not accept him as a shemale due to any clients which is Muslim religion will refuse or reject his makeup services to them. Besides, Danny is currently in a relationship with his partner. In fact, he actually had a thought of forming his family by adopting children and raise them. His ideal partner type must be a Chinese, handsome, and has stable income. In contrast, he never expects that his love relationship could last longer. Thus, he does not treat his relationship with every partner seriously. Additionally, he keeps his identity in a low profile whenever he goes out with his partner because he does not want to expose his identity to others. In the meantime, he enjoys hanging out with his clique that consists of gay and shemale to shopping and picnic. He takes his career seriously as a professional makeup artist whereby he does not mix his personal things with his job. However, he still had the thought of transforming back to a normal guy when he becomes old. 2.3 Participant 3 Renee James is 66 years old from Chicago, USA. He was married with a woman, and had three children and seven grandchildren. He became transgender in his 40s and came out to his wife about ten years ago. He did not tell his family about his transgender orientation, only his wife knows. This is because he thinks that it would be a burden for them to carry. He believes that most of his family, relatives and friends would accept him, but he does not want to go there. He frequently stays at home. Renees personality is somewhat introverted, quiet and shy. He will try to avoid conflict with others. Besides that, he likes to write, take long walks with his dog and canoe. He usually spends most of his time with his wife and occasionally has lunch with some transgender friends. Additionally, he has been active in the Chicago trans community ever since. He will attend two or three transgender community meetings monthly and visit with family once a week. Renee is financially secured. Currently, he is a free-lance writer and a magazine editor. His magazine career was not being affected because he never came out as transgender in his professional life. He wrote a novel Coming Out Can Be Murder as a trans woman. He had encountered many barriers to success because he is a transgender and the book is about a transsexual woman. Until now, Renee still lives in two different identities, because it is illegal to change the name. He also feels conspicuous when he presents his female persona. Although he knows that he should not be bother with what others think about him, but still, he is. After he proclaims that he is a transgender, he felt a sense of euphoria and relief. However, that does not last very long because reality sets in for most transgender, transgender is a very difficult struggle for acceptance. The most challenging and difficult part that Renee faced is acceptance. This is because many Caucasian and African male-to-female transgender dont look right. For example, they are too big, too broad-shouldered and others. Renee said that, Male-to-female transgenders in Asia have a different experience that we in the US. In some Asian countries-notably Thailand-the difference in size between men and women is not as great as in Caucasian and African gene pools, so more trans women are able to pass as women. From what Ive read, though, they are just as stigmatized as we are here in the US. Hence, it is hard even for kind people to accept them. Within a marriage, acceptance is also very difficult because his wife feels threatened by his identity. She fears he will transition to full time female, become attracted to himself, have an affair with another person, or somehow embarrass the family. At first, it was very difficult for his wife, but at last she supports him and they go on. About five years ago, Renee began taking small doses of estrogen. It doesnt affect his body because he does not take testosterone blockers. Nevertheless, the estrogen seems to soothe some of the mental conflicts he had. The result is that he had a milder disposition which he dont get mad as often, and dont get as mad as he once did. He liked both boy and girl things as a child and still today. He is comfortable in a male presentation, even though much of the time he would prefer to be a woman. He claimed that he has a mans body and a bi-gender mind. 3. Discussion There are interplay of nature and nurture in transgender. Previously mentioned, there are biological effects in transgender. James (2012) stated that transgender is not a decision they make, it is how their brain develops. In the womb, we all start out female, but our bodies and brains evolve and some of us become male. The brain, including the parts that determine gender orientation, continues to develop after birth. What can decide is what to do about that? Some who born in male dont have the same brain chemistry as other males and end up identifying as female or, in some cases, identifying as both male and female. Some decide to hide their identity, but as time goes on it become impossible (James, 2012). Moreover, in our findings, the participants become transgender due to the influence of family, peers, and society. Besides, transgender concerned about their appearance. They will exercise and diet in order to keep their body fit. They also learn how to makeup from magazine, friends and television shows. Additionally, they consumed contraceptive or birth-control pills such as Marvelon, Levora, and Camilla which contains estrogens to decrease male hormone and increase female hormone. According to Cross (2012), men may experience larger breasts, less facial hair and smaller testicles if they consume the pills. Furthermore, they are materialistic and like branded things such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Prada. The major struggle for transgender is acceptance. Transgender like to seek for acceptance from society. In family viewpoint, transgender was not easily being accepted by their parents and siblings where they will tend to feel embarrass and confuse. As time flies, family would gradually accept them as who they are. Mostly relatives and peers could accept them as transgender. In societal perspective, the communities are still stereotyping transgender yet they are not easily bothered on how the communities look on them. One way or another, they are more concern on familys view than others on them. Likewise, transgender are not being accepted by most of the religion. In terms of relationship partner, our findings illustrated that transgender relationship usually would not last long. Transgender would not take their relationship seriously because their main concern for both sides is to satisfy their own sexual instincts. So, they will easily feel bored with their partner and always seek to change for another. Nonetheless, there is minority who able to marry (heterosexual) and involve in a long-lasting relationship (homosexual). In addition, transgender also hope to have their own family. According to our results, participants are financially secure and stable in their work. They tend to work professionally in their job and are not easily affected by personal matter. However, there are exceptions. Wong (2005) stated that there are approximately 80% of the transgender in Malaysia become commercial sex workers because of discrimination by prospective employers. Wong (2005) also declared that: Many are academically qualified to hold professional positions but are denied the opportunity for employment. Many end up in the sex industry as well as stereotyped professions such as hairdressing and entertainment. One must question how genuinely free the choice of being a sex worker can be if opportunities for other kinds of employment remain limited. One must also understand and acknowledge the way transsexuals have been [socialized] into seeing themselves and the insidious barriers set up by corporations and prospective employers. From our findings, transgender characteristics are open-minded, soft, tolerate, and non-aggressive. They are more introverts whereby they prefer to stay at home often. In addition to that, transgender usually go out with their clique or with someone who is close with them instead of go out alone. However, being a well-mannered citizen does not mean that they are free from the disturbance of the authorities. In one of the annual events, Seksualiti Merdeka, was being held to represent a coalition of Malaysian Non Government Organizations (NGOs) including Malaysian Bar Council, SUARAM, Empower, PT Foundation, United Nations, Amnesty International and individuals. Through the event, it has disclosed the Malaysian government was unwilling to provide equal rights to transgender and therefore transgender faced difficulties in accessing health care, education, housing, employment, and other rights that shared by Malaysian. For example, the transgender community has reported that they are bei ng discriminated on attempting to open bank account and applying passport. Moreover, 70% of the transgender reported that they are being caught by the police raids and have been treated brutally such as striped their clothes in front of others in the police station. (this also see is what link de) Overall, this study could not be generalized due to the lack of participants and the reliability of our resources. This is because our study only involved three participants. In order to generalize the study, we need a wider population. More participants should be recruited from different culture, races, ethnic and nationality. Moreover, this study was conducted in three weeks. The duration was considered short whereby there are limited time and resources for us to collect our data. More time should be provided in order to collect more dependable and valid information as well as to increase the degree of consistency and reliability of the study. Therefore, further research need to be conducted to obtain more significant and reliable results. In a nutshell, the transgender experiences vary across the region. Some area could accept transgender whereby they do not have to endure a lot of rudeness from others. In other areas, people tend to be very conservative and religiously dogmatic, where transgender individuals live secret lives. Yet, everyone deserves to be free from discrimination, violence, harassment and for their sexual orientations as well as their gender identities. Lastly, we should educate our young generation to be knowledgeable and understanding so that they would not easily discriminate, blames, and judges others without knowing the truth. References Burns, C. (2003). The costly business of discrimination: The economic costs of discrimination and the financial benefits of gay and transgender equality in the workplace. Retrieved September 29, 2012, from  http://www.americanprogressaction.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2012/03/pdf/lgbt_biz_discrimination.pdf Cross, C. (2012). The effect of birth control pills on male. Retrieved from eHow: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5634953_effect-birth-control-pills-males.html Ee Lynn, Wong. (2005, February 1). Neither Here Nor There: The Legal Dilemma of the Transsexual Community in Malaysia. Retrieved from The Malaysian Bar Web:  http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/gender_issues/neither_here_nor_there_the_legal_dilemma_of_the_transsexual_community_in_malaysia.html (How about this? All need big letter? The title I mean..) Eileen, Ng. (2011, July 19). Malaysian transsexual loses court bid to officially change gender despite sex-change surgery. The Associated Press. Retrieved from  http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=w7542884 (What mean The Associated Press? Retrieved from The Associated Press: then add?) Hunnicutt, A. (2004). Krafft-Ebing, Richard von (1840-1902). Retrieved from http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/krafft_ebing_r.html James, R. (2012). Coming out can be murder. United States: Windy City Publishers. Melville, R. (2004). Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld. Retrieved from StoneWall Society: http://www.stonewallsociety.com/famouspeople/magnus.htm United Nations Country Team. (2011). Malaysia: The millennium development goals at 2010. Retrieved from http://www.undp.org.my/files/editor_files/files/Malaysia%20MDGs%20report%20clean%200419.pdf Zhou, J.N., Hofman, M. A., Gooren, L.J.G., Swaab, D. F. (1995). A sex difference in the human brain and its relation to transsexuality. Nature 378: 68-70.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

A Journey Through Music Essay

One warm summer evening just over a year ago, I picked out a book from my parents’ bookshelf and flipped to a random page while attempting to pass time. The book, known as the Tao-te-ching, is a famous work by the ancient Chinese Philosopher Lao-Tzu written more than 2500 years ago. Because of its age, the book is written in old Chinese, which makes it very difficult to read. Interested just in passing a few minutes, however, I flipped through the pages at random, looking for anything to catch my attention. And suddenly, right in front of my eyes, I see a quote which sets my brain in motion: â€Å"This journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. † In general, I do not think quotes can be long enough to be meaningful. However, looking at this quote, I feel a shiver run down my spine as I realize that these words written far back in time have a true meaning to me. For in my own lifetime, one small decision that my family made influenced my whole life, and has led me to journey many miles both physically and mentally. It was when I was four years old that I took the first step in a journey which would influence my life forever. My cousin was learning to play the piano and her parents suggested that I learn to play as well. I was enthusiastic about the idea of doing something new, although at the time I had no idea of the amount of impact this one decision would have on my life. From very early in my studies, I began to develop an emotional connection to music. While I was playing the piano, it seemed as if feelings and thoughts which had been living inside of me were suddenly being released into the outside world. I was struck by the power of music; while enjoying one of Prokofiev’s War Sonatas, I was transported to the dark, dangerous place that was Russia during World War II, whereas while performing a work by Mozart, I was transported to a gamboling, carefree, and joyful world filled with youthful innocence and vigor. And music has had the power to bring me to many new physical places as well. Thanks to the piano I have traveled across Asia and Europe to play with various orchestras and to compete in numerous competitions. I have met and played for luminaries such as US secretary of state Hilary Clinton. And finally, piano brought me to America where I continued my studies at the Juilliard School. Funnily enough, my travels as a result of the piano made me realize the diversity that exists in the world; they made me realize how many different ideas and people all exist simultaneously. And this brought me a desire to learn as much as I can, to expand my intellectual and physical horizons, and to understand as much of the world as I can. This is what led me to the decision not just to attend a Music Conservatory, but to enter an Academic University and venture into new territory. And while I eagerly await this unknown path I am about to take, I am certain of one thing: without the tentative first step of beginning the Piano that I took when I was four, the eye-opening journey I have taken over the past thirteen years would never have begun. And I know for sure that the Piano will always remain a part of my life.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Religion in Brazil

Brazil, or  officially the  Federative Republic of Brazil is the largest country in both  South America  and the  Latin America  region. It is the world's fifth largest country, both bygeographical area  and  by population over 190 million people   It is the largest  Lusophone, or portugese-speaking,  country in the world, and the only one in the Americas. com/ways-religion-economics-influence-development-medieval-europe-japan/">Religion plays a major role in the lives of most of the people in this largest South American county. Here are some interesting Brazil facts: Around ninety percent of this population identifies with some sort of religion,   making it more religiously inclined than any other South American country.Only around 1% of its population do not believe in a God, or a supreme being in some form or another. The Brazilian Constitution of 1889 declared that there was no  official  religion in Brazil, so everyone was free to believe as they like d. That’s why, just like the USA, Brazil can practice freedom of religion according to the newest constitution that was adopted in 1988. Brazil’s religious make-up can be traced to the diverse groups of people who came in various forms – natives, invaders, immigrants, and slaves. In terms of Christian religions, the main churches in Brazil are: †¢ Catholic Protestant †¢ Methodist †¢ Episcopal †¢ Pentecostal †¢ Lutheran †¢ Baptist Its religious inclination is also extremely diverse, despite the fact that around three-quarters of the population claim to be Roman Catholics. In fact, there are more Catholics in Brazil than in any other country in the world. The Portuguese brought with them, not just the language (this  medical tourism  hub is the only  country  inSouth America  not dominated by Spanish), but also Roman Catholicism. Catholicism was introduced to Brazil when the European settlers arrived with the aim of ‘c ivilising’ the local native people.They built churches and brought religious leaders into the country to teach young and old alike the doctrines of Catholicism. During the 19th century, Catholicism was made the official religion of Brazil. This meant that Catholic priests were paid a salary by the government, including them in the political affairs of the country. As such, Catholicism became an integral part of the management and administration of Brazil and its people. Many of the Brazilian festivals are based on the Catholic religion. Protestantism is the second largest branch in Brazil religion.Those who are Christian but not Catholic are considered Protestant. Only about 15% of Brazilians claim to follow a Protestant faith of some kind. There are many branches of Christianity in Brazil. Among them the most popular are Baptist, Methodist, Neo-Pentecostalists, Old Pentecostalists, Presbyterian, Anglican and Episcopal Churches. Other Protestant beliefs and offshoots that mak e up smaller portions of â€Å"Christians† are Kardecist, Lutherans. The largest population of Protestants are found in North, Central-West and Southeast Brazil. The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  is the third largest Brazil religion.They boast a membership of over one million one hundred thousand with almost two thousand congregations and 309 family history centers. Five temples are stretched across Brazil. Jehovah's Witnesses  is the fourth largest religion in Brazil. They have over 700,000 members. Eastern Orthodox  makes up the fifth largest religion in the country with over 500,000 members that came over with their Armenian, Greek, Lebanese, Russian, Syrian and Ukrainian immigrants in the past one hundred years. When the Portuguese landed in Brazil, the  country  was populated by native  Indians who had their own traditional religious practices.In the regions just north of Bahia, indigenous tribes still practice the Catimbo religion; a sect that is heavily influenced by spirits, shamanism, and omens. When African slaves began to be imported into Brazil, they brought with them their religious practices, many of which involved invoking the gods through chants or dances. Over time, these Afro Brazilian religious practices began mingling with Catholic and Protestant influences to create synthetic religions. Some of the more  popular  exponents  include  Candomble, which has a huge following in urban centers like  Rio de Janeiro, and Umbanda.Spiritism is also one of the significant, although minor, religions in Brazil. Spiritistic practices are based largely on ancient Amerindian cultures as well as the influence of the African cultures and customs that were introduced centuries ago, when slaves were brought over to Brazil from the ‘Dark Continent’ of Africa. Such tribes and cultures were particularly inclined towards the worship of spirits since they had not been influenced by more structured notions of creation, which hailed from a reliance on the teachings of Bible.The religions or belief systems found in Brazil other than the ones above include: * Muslims * Methodists * Episcopalians * Buddhists * Ayahuasca * Afro-Brazilian religions – Xango, Batuque, Umbanda, Tambor de Mina * Hinduism * Islamists * Shinto believers * Judaists * Rastafarian * Brazil Religion Makes the Country Unique Every part of the country has been uniquely shaped by the religion practiced there. Celebrations, festivals, traditions, and customs are all practiced due to some religious or spiritual beginnings and purposes.For example, During the Holy Week before Easter, several Brazilian cities will celebrate Corpus Christi by artistically creating mosaics or carpets on the streets using mediums like flour, flower petals, shavings of wood, and coffee grounds. The results are stunning and a memorable way to celebrate this holy time of the year. The music, dancing, chanting, singing, or other activities all stem from one faith or another and make the people who they are. The entire culture of the Brazilian people is intertwined with religion or faith in some way. No wonder they're such an amazing, diverse, and wonderful people!

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Cell Phone Overuse Or Addiction - 2080 Words

Ever since it was first introduced in the year 1973, the cell phone has evolved to become the device that holds the future within itself. Now referred to as the smartphone, the majority of the developing world’s population uses it now. It’s endless evolving functionalities, as apps and programs, are making the users see this piece of technology as a holy grail, but only much more accessible. Ever since its integration into our society, cell phones have given us the opportunity to connect to people at every inch of the world at anytime of the day. For ourselves, cell phones, particularly smartphones, have offered us an infinite amount of information all within the span of our hands. Its abilities outmatch even some desktops and laptops, all with the benefit of being mobile. The numbers of cellphone users have skyrocketed within recent years. With the growing number of cell phone users, the issue of cell phone overuse or addiction has been a question of much concern for p sychologists, sociologists, and scholars of education. In recent studies, cell phone addiction or nomophobia, a short term coined by UK Post Office for no-mobile-phone phobia† has been compared to other behavioral addictions such as gambling which are included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Nomophobia has not made its entrance into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual even though it has the symptoms that parallel those that behavioral addictions have. The reason this has not been placed into theShow MoreRelatedCell Phones And Its Impact On Society892 Words   |  4 Pagesproblem lurking beneath that shiny exterior. Cell phones have made a dramatic advancement from the bricks with antennas to the sleek touch screen that seems to occupy the hands of every teen and working adult. 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However, the world wasn t exactly prepared for the iPhone when it was divulged in 2007. The originator Steve Jobs dispatched the in with no reservations one advanced music player, camera (2MP!), and Internet-empowered PDA gadget, and the rest is history. Application empowered cell phones assumed control over the business sector after the arrival of the iPhone. Google s publicly releasedRead MoreTechnology And Its Effect On Society1396 Words   |  6 Pagesadvances and its overuse are redefini ng social interaction and the cultural fabric of society. Gradually, the overuse of internet and mobile technology seems to be destroying the significance of interactions we have with others, disengaging us from the people around us and leading to a sense of isolation in today’s society. A 2014 Nielsen survey found on average, Americans spend 60 hours a week consuming content across various digital devices (Nielsen). We now mostly communicate by phone calls, textingRead MoreMobile Phones : The Way We Communicate With Each Other880 Words   |  4 PagesPhones definitely change the way we communicate with each other. We have the freedom to call or text someone whenever we want to without anyone knowing. Yet, as cell phones evolve over the years the world wasn t exactly prepared for the iPhone when it was divulged in 2007. Creator Steve Jobs dispatched the in with the new advanced music player, camera (2MP!), and Internet-empowered PDA gadget, and the rest is history. Application empowered the iPhone and gain control over the business sector (PocketNow)Read MoreNegative Effects Of Digital Appliances1236 Words   |  5 Pagesprominent. Digital addiction and cyberbullying can lead to serious life-changing health issues. In our ever-growing technological world, more digital appliances are starting to have negative effects on consumers. Children that have lived with technology their whole lives are becoming more dependent and more fixated on their digital appliances than earlier generations. They are the first to have an anytime and anyplace kind of connection to technology. With the development of mobile phones, internet chatroomsRead MoreThe Effects Of Cell Phones On Society s Obsession Without Devices837 Words   |  4 PagesRecent studies suggest that cell phones have evolved into something more than a simple communication tool, gaining its own place in various aspects of social interaction. For instance, a qualitative study on Australian adolescents revealed that cell phones play an integral part in the lives of young Australians (Walsh, White, Ross, 2008). Some of the participants in the study reported very strong attachment to their cell phones; they felt as though their cell phones were part of them. Mozes introduced