Omar Qrunfleh
A significant development in our society marks each decade in human history, whether it was the development of the car or new farming techniques. Arguably, the most important development in our generation is the phone. In the span of a few decades, the phone transformed from a large device used for long-distance communication to a device small enough to fit into our pockets, used for a wide range of reasons, such as entertainment.
To understand the role of the phone, we must first understand the need for the phone. Our phones are often the first thing most people touch when they get out of bed, as it is our alarm clock, bank, newspaper, and social networks. The phone today is no longer merely just a tool we use; it is our influencer for our social behaviors and expectations.
The readings in this syllabus offer an insight into a wide range of subjects that highlight the impact of the use of phones in our society. Students in this course will develop a framework to understand their relationship with phones.
This ten-week course will analyze how this technology has reshaped and continues to reshape our societal social structures, economic system, and political landscape. Students will learn to evaluate what constant connection to the online world does to a person psychologically. The course will begin with tracing the origins of the use of phones, to question how different the future will look from today as a result of phones.
Week 1: What is a Phone?
Invented by Alexander Graham Bell, the phone is defined as a device that emits sound over a distance. This week, we go through the origins of the phone from a tool emitting sound to its current status as a central system for modern life. Understanding the scope of the importance of the phone in our daily lives is essential, as it is more than just a simple device.
Primary Sources: Choo, Zhimin, et al. “Mobile Phone.” Google, patents.google.com/patent/USD782439S1/en.
Secondary Sources: Borth, David. “Telephone | History, Definition, & Uses.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 16 Feb. 2024, www.britannica.com/technology/telephone.
“Definition of PHONE.” Www.merriam-Webster.com, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phone.
“Phone Definition and Meaning | Collins English Dictionary.” Www.collinsdictionary.com, www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/phone.
Week 2: Life without the phone
Life without the invention of the phone is unimaginable to some. Before the invention of phones, most communications were either face-to-face or by letter. People got their news through newspapers or the TV, and for entertainment, most people engaged in physical activities.
Primary Sources: McKenna, Adam. “Securly – Geolocation Sharing.” Medium.com, 2025, adam-mckenna.medium.com/what-i-learnt-from-4-months-with-no-smartphone-761225492f54. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
Smith, Christina, and Lexington Herald. “Opinion: Student’s Firsthand Account of Life without a Smartphone.” GovTech, 10 Apr. 2025, www.govtech.com/education/higher-ed/opinion-students-firsthand-account-of-life-without-a-smartphone. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
Secondary Sources: Resilience. “A World without IPhones? Who Can Even Imagine It Any More? Well, Let Me Try.” Resilience, 6 June 2025, www.resilience.org/stories/2025-06-06/a-world-without-iphones-who-can-even-imagine-it-any-more-well-let-me-try/. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
“Life without Phone: Advantages and Disadvantages.” Mbaroi. In 2025, mbaroi.in/blog/life-without-phone. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
“Life Without a Cell Phone: Benefits and Outcomes.” StudyCorgi, 2 Jan. 2021, studycorgi.com/life-without-a-cell-phone-benefits-and-outcomes/. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
Week 3: The Development of the Phone
The development of the phone is the perfect story of relentless hard work and strategic design, from being s wooden box to being small enough to fit in our pockets. This week, we trace the pivotal shifts that made the phone what it is today through analyzing key moments in history that changed and defined our lives, culture, and the way we live today.
Primary Sources: Schroter, John. “Steve Jobs Introduces IPhone in 2007.” YouTube, YouTube Video, 8 Oct. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnrJzXM7a6o.
Secondary Sources: Hardy, James. “The Complete History of Phones from the Last 500 Years.” History Cooperative, 16 Feb. 2022, historycooperative.org/history-of-phones/.
Spencer, Jamie. “History of the Cell Phone (1973 to 2023) – Practically Networked.” Practically Networked, 15 Aug. 2022, www.practicallynetworked.com/history-of-the-cell-phone/.
Wankhede, Calvin. “The History of Cell Phones: A Decade-By-Decade Timeline.” Android Authority, 9 Jan. 2023, www.androidauthority.com/history-of-cell-phones-timeline-3264425/.
Week 4: Are Phones Really That Beneficial?
Some may argue that despite all the benefits, such as quick communication, phones cause more harm than good. Many people often waste their time as a result of spending too much time on their phones. We will weigh the pros and cons of phone usage. On the one hand, phones are really efficient in communication, particularly long-distance communication; however, critics say that the risks associated with using phones, particularly prolonged use, outweigh the benefits.
Primary Sources: TED. “Are Smartphones Ruining Childhood? | Jonathan Haidt | TED.” YouTube, 14 Sept. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNEGWrD08f8. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
Secondary Sources: Darren, Ashleigh, and. “10 Reasons Why Mobile Phones Are Important – Tech Crazy.” Techcrazy.us, 31 July 2023, techcrazy.us/10-reasons-why-mobile-phones-are-important/.
Miller, James. “Why Smartphones Are Good? (the Top Reasons Explained).” Hello Smart Life, hellosmartlife.com/why-smartphones-are-good/.
Williams, Montrez. “The Pros and Cons of Smartphones: 27 Benefits and Drawbacks.” KosherOS by SafeTelecom, 3 Nov. 2024, kosheros.com/blogs/news/the-pros-and-cons-of-smartphones-27-benefits-and-drawbacks.
Week 5: Psychological Effects of Phone Usage
Studies have shown that prolonged use of phones can harm us psychologically, leading to many people being addicted to their phones. We will investigate the dopamine-driven feedback system and the evidence linking phone dependence to increased anxiety and decreased attention spans. Our goal for this week is more than just to highlight self-awareness, but to identify ourselves to see who we truly are without using phones.
Primary Sources:
Zhu, Wei, et al. “Smartphone Dependence and Its Influence on Physical and Mental Health.” Frontiers in Psychiatry, vol. 16, Frontiers Media, Aug. 2025, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1281841.
Secondary Sources: Cherry, Kendra. “The Effects of Smartphones on the Brain.” Verywell Mind, Verywellmind, 13 Sept. 2023, www.verywellmind.com/how-do-smartphones-affect-the-brain-2794892.
Kalra, Yogya. “Phone Addiction Signs and Symptoms.” MentalHealth.com, 28 Apr. 2025, www.mentalhealth.com/library/phone-addiction.
Ruggeri, Amanda. “How Mobile Phones Have Changed Our Brains.” Www.bbc.com, 3 Apr. 2023, www.bbc.com/future/article/20230403-how-cellphones-have-changed-our-brains.
Week 6: Economic Development as a result of Phones
The economic impact of phones has been profound, transforming and creating new economies. Today, with a click of a few buttons, you can order your groceries without having to go to the store. The phone has revolutionized the rules of commerce and labor, and this week will lead us to ask if we truly win in this economic landscape so dependent on phones.
Primary Sources: Justice, Tei, and Mensah. Mobile Phones and Local Economic Development: A Global Evidence. documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099226107252335243/pdf/IDU0034bb9db08f91048a4091f40cd23e11e3fb2.pdf.
Secondary Sources: EMB, Team. “The Transformational Power of Mobile Technology on Developing Economies.” Emb Global, 15 Jan. 2024, blog. emb.global/power-of-mobile-technology-on-developing-economies/
“How Smartphones Are Powering Global Economic Growth | the University of Scranton.” The University of Scranton, 31 Aug. 2023, gradadmissions.scranton.edu/blog/articles/business/smartphones-powering-economic-growth.shtml.
Justice, Tei, and Mensah. Mobile Phones and Local Economic Development: A Global Evidence. documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099226107252335243/pdf/IDU0034bb9db08f91048a4091f40cd23e11e3fb2.pdf.
Week 7: Activism and awareness from Phones
Movements such as the #BlackLivesMatter movement have been successful largely because of the awareness of the cause, often as a result of someone posting on their phone. We will look at how grassroots activism and movements are facilitated by mobile technology.
Primary Sources: Bestvater, Samuel, et al. “#BlackLivesMatter Turns 10.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, Pew Research Center, 29 June 2023, www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/06/29/blacklivesmatter-turns-10/.
Secondary Sources: admin. “The Power of Digital Activism: Leveraging Technology for Social Change – Juscholars.com.” Juscholars.com, 11 Jan. 2025, juscholars.com/the-power-of-digital-activism-leveraging-technology-for-social-change/.
Christensen, Darin, and Francisco Garfias. “Can You Hear Me Now? How Communication Technology Affects Protest and Repression.” Quarterly Journal of Political Science, vol. 13, no. 1, Mar. 2018, pp. 89–117, https://doi.org/10.1561/100.00016129.
Schulman, Marc. “Revolutionizing Connectivity: The Role of Mobile Phones in Modern Social Movements.” Historycentral.com, 2020, www.historycentral.com/BookReviews/Mobilephone.html.
Week 8: Privacy Risks
With hacking becoming more prevalent and sophisticated, many people are worried that they may be the next target, and are becoming more aware of the information they put on their phones. This week, we will confront the stark reality of just how safe our information is online, and we aim to examine the importance of incidents such as data breaches.
Primary Sources: Auxier, Brooke, et al. “Americans and Privacy: Concerned, Confused and Feeling Lack of Control over Their Personal Information.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 15 Nov. 2019, www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/11/15/americans-and-privacy-concerned-confused-and-feeling-lack-of-control-over-their-personal-information/.
Secondary Sources: DeMuro, Jonas. “8 Reasons Why Smartphones Are a Privacy Nightmare.” TechRadar, TechRadar pro, 6 Mar. 2018, www.techradar.com/news/8-reasons-why-smartphones-are-privacy-nightmare.
Goud, Naveen. “Privacy Concerns amid Growing Mobile Security Threats: A Digital Dilemma – Cybersecurity Insiders.” Cybersecurity Insiders, 9 Dec. 2024, www.cybersecurity-insiders.com/privacy-concerns-amid-growing-mobile-security-threats-a-digital-dilemma/.
The Analyst. “Smartphone Consumers Should Be Wary of Data Privacy Issues in Tech.” Techish Kenya, 15 Sept. 2025, tech-ish.com/2025/09/15/smartphone-data-privacy-risks/. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Week 9: Cultural trends and shifts
With more young people buying phones and spending more of their time on social media, the impact can only be described as astronomical. Every year, the baseline of what can be considered socially acceptable changes, such as the inclusion of new slang words. We will highlight the rise of influencer culture and the transformation of our culture, for example, the evolution of humor online through memes.
Primary Sources: Jamalova, Maral. “Cultural Values and Digital Gap: Overview of Behavioral Patterns.” PLOS ONE, edited by Hua Pang, vol. 19, no. 10, Oct. 2024, p. e0311390, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311390.
Secondary Sources: Alsaleh, Abdullah. “The Impact of Technological Advancement on Culture and Society.” Scientific Reports, vol. 14, no. 1, Nature Portfolio, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-83995-z.
Cult MTL. “How Mobile Phones Are Shaping Global Culture.” Cult MTL, 3 Jan. 2025, cultmtl.com/2025/01/how-mobile-phones-are-shaping-global-culture/.
University of the People. “How Have Cell Phones Changed Us Socially? Hint: Too Much.” University of the People, University of the People, 14 Mar. 2020, www.uopeople.edu/blog/how-have-cell-phones-changed-us-socially/.
Week 10: The Future of Phones
With new models of phones coming out every year, one can only wonder what the future has in store for us, leaving many to question if we even need to use phones in the future, and what comes after the phone? This week will cover all the speculation regarding the future of phones, leaving us to ask and answer many questions.
Primary Sources: Michaels, Philip. “What Will Our Phones Be Like in 2035? We Asked Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, and More about Your Future.” Tom’s Guide, 11 Aug. 2025, www.tomsguide.com/phones/what-will-our-phones-be-like-in-2035.
Secondary Sources: Muhammad Tuhin. “The Evolution of Smartphones: What Comes Next?” Science News Today, 27 Mar. 2025, www.sciencenewstoday.org/the-evolution-of-smartphones-what-comes-next.
Saltzman, Marc. “What Will Replace Smartphones? Experts Reveal the Unsettling Reality.” Inverse, 28 Sept. 2023, www.inverse.com/tech/next-in-tech-after-smartphones.
Turner, Rachel. “All about Gadgets, Technology, Apps of Daily Use.” Master Your Gadget, 29 Mar. 2025, masteryourgadget.com/the-future-of-mobile-phones/.
Assignments:
Week 3: In this assignment, I want you to use various articles to create a slideshow about the history and development of phones. Using only trustworthy sources, create a minimum 10-page slideshow. In the slideshow, include at least 3 images. Throughout the slideshow, we ask the class two questions, in which students should discuss the question and share their answers.
Week 5: Using sources such as CNN, New York Times, et, write a 2-page essay about how much of an impact phones have on social movements. In the essay, include a thesis, an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Also, in the essay, use one primary source and three secondary sources.
Phone Usage Impacts Syllabus 