The biggest technological change recently is the use of mobile phones. These days everybody seems to have them. Cell phones have improved safety. Children can now reach their parents and vice-versa. Schools can reach parents, too, and parents don’t need to worry about being out of contact during the day, as they can always be reached in an emergency. Everyone can connect everybody else in the matter of a few presses of buttons, a signal and a minute to connect. Victims of serious accidents such as car wrecks and earthquakes have been able to use their cell phones to contact help. With cell phones, help is always just a phone call away. Cell phones also have some negative impacts. It can be hard for people to get disconnected, for example, from work. Some employers assume that their employees will be permanently available for consultation or discussion, even when the employee is on vacation. When cell phones were first introduced, there was a lot of discussion about cell phone etiquette, but these days, most people seem to ignore that advice. People talk loudly on their phone in public spaces, and they take phone calls while in the middle of conversations with others. People answer their phones in movie theaters and conference presentations. Cell phones are a wonderful technology that adds to safety and the feeling of connectedness. They have become essential for business and personal use.

Also, technology has helped improve productivity at work by allowing manufacturers to produce more in less time using less manpower. Many simple tasks that workers used to do are now done by robots. For example, the robotic arm seen on a modern garbage truck enables the trash collection process to be done by one man. Although it may sound like a good thing, it has disadvantages too. Technology creates unemployment because of the fact that machines are cheaper to maintain than