Cellphone jammers are illegal. So why do people keep using them? (Hint: because tech moves too slowly.)
The use of cellphone jammers is on the rise, despite being illegal in many countries including the United States. Jammers work by blocking the frequency used by cellphones, rendering them unable to make or receive calls. They are often used in public places to prevent interruptions, in cars to prevent distracted driving, and in exam halls to prevent cheating.
Although jammers have been around for years, the illegal use of them is becoming more prevalent. It is important to remember that using a jammer is not only illegal, but it can also prevent emergency calls from being made, putting lives at risk. Law enforcement is cracking down on illegal jammer use, and individuals who are caught using them may face hefty fines or even jail time. It is important to respect the laws regarding technology use and prioritize safety above all else.
But are phones really the problem? And are jammers really the solution?
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I think cellphone jammers are being used as a Band-Aid, as the wrong solution to solve three societal problems that should be solved by much better technology.
Here are the three biggest problems cellphone jammers are trying, and failing, to solve, and what I think are the better solutions.
1.Dangerous Phones: A Growing Problem
Jason R. Humphreys, a resident of Florida, was concerned about the high number of accidents caused by drivers who were distracted by their phones. To mitigate this issue, he installed a cellphone jammer in the back of the passenger seat of his SUV. This allowed him to prevent people on his daily commute from using their phones while driving. He continued using the device for two years without realizing that he was breaking U.S. laws against the use of jammers.
Despite the success of his scheme, the police were not pleased with Humphreys due to the occasional disruption of their own communication systems by the jammer. Consequently, they hunted him down and caught him two years ago.
Last week, Humphreys was fined $48,000 by the Federal Communications Commission for his illegal use of a cellphone jammer. It was a lesson to learn which makes it clear that laws are made to protect people from potential harm. Although his intentions were noble, Humphreys had to pay the price for his actions. The story highlights the importance of considering the consequences of our actions, even when our intentions are good.
As I’ve expressed in this space before, I think that drivers distracted with smartphones would be distracted by something else without smartphones. In other words, smartphones don’t cause accidents, humans do.
The horrible reality is that human drivers kill around 1.24 million people a year worldwide. That’s a far higher annual rate than the number of people who die in wars.
Humphreys’ misguided action was the wrong solution to the problem. What we really need is to transition to self-driving cars as quickly as possible. The sooner we do it, the more lives will be spared.
2.Annoying Phones: Tackling the Issue
Dennis Nicholl, a resident of Chicago, was arrested recently for allegedly using a phone jammer on a commuter train. It all started when photos of Nicholl with his jammer went viral online, leading the police to take notice. According to reports, Nicholl got annoyed with fellow commuters talking on their smartphones and decided to take matters into his own hands. He pulled out his jammer, flipped a switch, and all the phones went silent.
However, the act of using a phone jammer is not only illegal but can also be dangerous. Jamming communications can cause serious problems in emergencies, causing a significant risk to public safety. Moreover, cell towers restrict the signal, making it difficult for first responders to locate people in need.
Despite the authorities’ concerns, Nicholl’s attorney claims that his client only intended to achieve a little peace and quiet on his daily commute. But, unfortunately, his actions could have had disastrous consequences.
In conclusion, while it’s normal to feel annoyed by people talking loudly on their phones, using a jammer isn’t the right solution. Rather, people can politely ask the other person to lower their voice or move away from them. All in all, there are better ways to deal with such situations without causing harm to anyone.
Comedian Dave Chappelle recently used a product from a company called Yondr to silence calls during 13 of his comedy gigs in Chicago. Yondr makes a lockable, radio-proof bag — a kind of Faraday cage. As they entered the venue, Chappelle fans were required, as a condition of admission, to put their smartphones inside a Yondr bag, which was then locked. They were allowed to keep possession of the bags, but those who wanted to use their phones had to leave the no-phone zone and have someone unlock the Yondr bag as they exited.
The problem that Nicholl and Chappelle are trying to solve is that other people’s smartphone use is annoying and distracting, respectively.
Silencing all the phones is the wrong way to go. The better solution is the coming age of hearable computing, which I wrote about last year. This new generation of wearable processes all of the sounds coming into your ears before letting you hear them. By using a smartphone app, you can adjust and customize what you hear and what you don’t. When these smart earbuds hit the market for real, Nicholl will be able to produce his own peace and quiet, and Chappelle — and his audience, for that matter — can choose to hear only his own brilliant humor, plus the sounds of laughter and applause, regardless of whether someone in the audience is rudely chatting on the phone.
3.Cheat Enabled: The Problem with Phones in the Classroom
Cheating is a massive problem worldwide, especially for entrance exams for colleges, universities, professional training and the military.
India’s northernmost state, Jammu and Kashmir, is tackling the problem of cheating by installing 800 cellphone jammers at testing centers statewide.
One recent high-visibility case illustrates the problem: A student in India named Wasim Ahmed at Nawab Shah engineering college was caught cheating. He kept a smartphone in his underwear with a microphone in his shirt and a Bluetooth receiver in his ear. He whispered the questions to a confederate on the phone, who gave him the answers.
Behavior like Ahmed’s is repeated around the world, though the specifics may vary.
Earlier this month, a scandal erupted at Thailand’s Rangsit University medical college when four students were caught cheating on entrance exams. Two of them wore glasses with built-in cameras, and three wore smartwatches. The glasses captured photos of the exam questions. On a break, the test-takers handed the glasses to someone who took them and sent the photos to confederates at an ad-hoc “command center” located elsewhere. The accomplices researched the questions and texted answers back to the test-takers, who could see the SMS messages on their smartwatches. The good news is that they were caught. (These aren’t the kind of people you want controlling your general anesthesia during surgery.)
The problem of using Internet-connected devices to cheat is so bad that Iraq actually turns off much of the nation’s Internet to prevent sixth graders from cheating.
Internet-assisted cheating appears to be a major problem. But the real problem is that most exams are built around an antiquated concept of learning. If cheaters can cheat by getting data from the Internet, there’s no reason to memorize that information in the first place.
We’re all becoming information cyborgs, with instant, real-time information and communication, artificial intelligence bots, and all the world’s knowledge at our fingertips at all times.
Despite the rapid pace of technological advancement in recent years, our most advanced computers are no match for the incredible capabilities of the human brain. It’s unlikely that our machines will ever be able to fully replicate the complexity and creativity of human thought processes.
As a result, there has been a growing movement to shift away from traditional forms of education that rely heavily on memorization and rote learning. By emphasizing and testing for creativity instead, we can help students develop the skills and abilities they will need to thrive in an increasingly complex and dynamic world.
Another solution that has been proposed is to embrace the reality of our hyper-connected world and allow for “open smartphone” exams. After all, young people today have never known a world without the mobile internet at their fingertips. By testing students’ ability to use their phones to look up information, we can ensure that they are developing the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will be important in their future careers.
However, even with these technological advancements, some problems persist. For example, individuals sometimes turn to cellphone jammers to try to block out distractions and interruptions. However, in doing so, they may inadvertently create much larger problems, such as interfering with emergency communication or disrupting other devices that rely on cell signals. It’s important to consider the broader implications of our actions and think carefully about the potential unintended consequences.
The reality is that smartphones exist. Wireless communication exists. Access to the Internet from anywhere exists. And smartphones and wireless gadgets are quickly becoming universal and ubiquitous. The best solution to whatever societal problems these realities appear to create is rarely to simply block the phones.
The best solution to the problems created by technology is always better technology.