Life lies in your mobile phone

Debbie A. Lubis, Contributor/Jakarta

With today's fast-paced lifestyle when data, voices and sounds travel without borders, mobile phones have become a must-have item.

Many people in big cities like Jakarta rely completely on these tiny but sophisticated gadgets.

Given the fact that it provides compact and efficient features and facilities, the mobile phone really helps people to arrange their social as well as professional lives, even in crisis situations.

"It has become a primary need for me as I can monitor what is happening in a split second," said Saidin Ernas, a student of the University of Indonesia's Graduate School of Politics.

Saidin, who comes from the restive province Maluku, said his mobile phone had helped him to check on his family despite the fact that most communications to the province were cut recently.

"I just got an SMS saying that one of my relatives had died in the hospital there after a clash," he said.

Saidin added that his mobile phone also allowed him to contact his lecturers and classmates regarding academic assignments or schedules.

"In the past, it was taboo to contact lecturers by phone but now it is common to just send them an text message and tell them about your problems," he said. Saidin usually goes through three prepaid cards every month.

Mobile phones can also help people organize their offices or manage their businesses. Samsuridjal Djauzi, the president of the Dharmais National Cancer Center, said that sending an SMS really helped him give precise instructions to his secretary.

"The speed of communication is really amazing. Especially when you are away in other countries. I can write an exact memo to my secretary using the text message service," he said, adding that his handset was also useful as it could function as a modem.

Samsuridjal, however, said that there mobile phones could also cause problems, especially in professional settings like office meetings. "It is impossible to discuss a company's plans to five directors while three of them are busy with their mobile phones," he said.

The mobile phone also allows people to send messages even if they do not want to be disturbed. "You can also communicate freely even though your business counterparts are busy or have finished work. They still can get your message," said Samsuridjal. He also makes optimum use of the features, like data storage space and alert facilities, provided by his mobile phones.

Samsuridjal recently decided to carry two mobile phones as had been having some trouble with unwelcome callers. "I cannot avoid having my mobile phone number on my business card. But it turns out that people keep calling or sending me text messages asking for donations or just selling things. So, it's better that I keep one phone for business purposes and another one for private use," he explained.

Mobile phones are also useful when people find themselves in places where no other communications are available.

Melanesia Tamara, a private English teacher, said that she really relied on her mobile phone as she herself was always mobile. Most of her lessons are given outside the house.

"When I'm stuck in the middle of a traffic jam, all I have to do is just call my students to cancel the meeting or just find the nearest convenient place to meet," she said.

Melanesia said that her mobile phone also helped her to arrange her teaching schedule and appointments with students. "It's really efficient. I never give my home number to business clients."

Meanwhile, working mother Yunita Tridamayanti, said that her mobile phone was really helpful in checking up on her children when she was working. "I just check with the nanny about how the children are. I can also call my husband if he is late picking me up from the office," she said.

Yunita added that her mobile phone also helped her to stay in touch with her friends, and even participate in political events, such as presidential polls by text message.

A mobile phone is also a tool that allows you to show your love. Fadjri Nurhadi, an company employee in Central Jakarta, said that he could read between the lines of the text message he had received that the girl he had a crush on reciprocated his feelings.

"I just knew from her response that she liked me too. Now I always send her text messages to show her how much I care about her. Her habit of skipping lunch really worries me. A mobile phone also helps me fix up my problems right away if we have an argument," he said.

In a sign of true love, Fadjri uses puts his girlfriend's picture as the wallpaper for his mobile phone. Whenever his workload is heavy, he just plays some games on his mobile phone. "With the GPRS facility I can download many kinds of games. It really helps me get rid of burnout".