"Zebra for Life" (Repost of Blog 3)

Cell phones are no longer a means of simple communication; they have become a great describer of personalities and an aspect of style for the world’s youth.  From the Motorola Dyna-Tac, the first working cellular prototype, to todays I-Phone 4, the world of cell phones has impacted the generations in between.  With the mass production of these devices there has been a mass change in today’s youth style.

Over the years cell phones have gone from 16oz to as little as 3 oz. Size and weight are not the only things that have changed though. When purchasing cellphone, people also can choose colors, between touch screens and keyboards, blackberries, smart phones etc. The decision one makes on the phone they purchase can say a lot about their personality and style. People who choose to invest in smartphones, such as the I-phone or Blackberry, are usually more social than those who choose to go with the simpler texting and calling functioned phones. Smart phones allow communication on a greater scale of technologies, for example, email, Facebook and Twitter, making youth more social.

The youth at UMBC is a great example of a highly effected community by cellphones. The school itself has an application for students to use on their smartphones to get info about the events on campus. The student population which own these smartphones tend to be more active within the school or have more vibrant social personalities. These students fall under a new style born only recently as tech savvy. Even with simple phones, style can emerge. One student, Eric Tagese Pfund, has a sticker on the back of his Nokia phone which reads “Zebra for life.” He said that he got the sticker when on his study abroad in Botswana; the zebra is the mascot for the soccer team there. He keeps it there show his knowledge of a culture abroad. Eric represents a style supporting diversity through his phone.

Cell phones have the capability to support and even create styles. Today’s youth are the most exposed generation to these expedients and have embraced them and given them a place in their daily style. Cell phones and style are most similar in that they are constantly changing, sometimes even by a week or two, so what’s next week going to be? A pink I-phone with matching chucks?
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