Mobile phones and smart phones are all over the place. In restaurants, at the movies, on the train, on the street—the multifunctional devices make it possible to communicate practically everywhere, 24/7. And if the need to communicate is big, the diversity of the subject matter people communicate about is even bigger. 

No other means of communication have so changed daily life around the world, and in such a short period of time, as these devices. ‘’Where are you?’’ and ‘’What are you doing?’’ have replaced traditional openers to a phone conversation. Private matters are discussed for all to hear, and listening in—involuntarily or not—is no longer seen as impolite. Meetings are scheduled at the drop of a hat and just as easily cancelled, while text messages have come to be considered as binding as letters used to be. 

What’s more: by making it possible to reach others or to be reached at virtually any time, any place, mobile devices actually foster greater mobility. To some they are a curse; to many, a blessing.