How mobile will our future be?

The evolution of mankind is not a mystery. A pivotal point in evolution was the invention of the wheel. It gave us the freedom of movement. It made humans ‘mobile’. From there began an era of progress and development that is continuing till date.

The manoeuvre that started on land was followed by the conquering of the sea and the sky in man’s pursuit to be ambulant. But this did not quench the desire to be connected.

Then came into existence, the telephone. This allowed us to be in touch with people without being physically present in front of them. But before we could get used to the instrument, it was time to let go of the wires that confined us to one place. Thus was invented the ‘mobile phone’. This little machine was slowly incorporated with practical gadgets, like the telephone, torch, compass, camera, radio and so on. With the growth of internet services and social media, it’s possible for us to stay connected on the go.

We even shunned the wires of the computer, moving on to laptops. Inventions like e-books gave us ‘mobile books’ for the pleasure of reading on the move without really having to carry physical books.

Convenience and freedom is the essence of everything that man invents. While the barter system was brought to an end by currency notes, generation next created plastic money to further reduce the hassle. This is being succeeded by the ‘mobile wallet’. The concept of ‘pay with one touch’ is in vogue.

A crowning stroke to make travelling comfortable is the introduction of the ‘mobile passport’.

Attaching this one word to any routine thing is changing the way we talk, connect, read, pay and travel. Considering the pace at which technology is advancing, I can’t fathom how mobile our future will be. Can you?

- The reader is a teacher based in Dubai.