Cell phones provide us with timely communication at our fingertips. It is very rare to go anywhere without your cell phone these days. They have become an extension of ourselves. Although many people use their cell phones for texting friends, staying up to date on social media, and calling their family, cell phones have the potential to shape our world. This was evident for a young boy in South Korea named Lee Chun-Kil who texted his friend “Gwanghwamun station. 6:00” while sitting in class. This simple text message rapidly circulated, spreading the news of the protest. The next day there was over 400 students gathered to protest the severe pressures they must endure for the

nation’s highly competitive college-entrance exam. Many protestors admitted that they don’t think the rally would have been so large without the text massage.

Cell phone text messaging also known as SMS has proven to be the new political tool for activists. Text message formatting has been described as a “mobile democracy” by political science experts. There have been many instances where cell phones are used to mobilize protests, underhand authorities, and fire off political spam. Another way cell phones have shaped South Korea alone was in the election of Roh Moo Hyun. In December of 2002, mainstream media favored his opponent Lee Hoi Chang. He was more heavily favored after a former rival who had endorsed Roh withdrew his support the day before election day. However, Roh’s base was with the younger “technology” generation. His supporters launched a massive campaigning effort. They released emails and text messages to over 800.000 voters the morning of election day. This resulted in Roh winning the presidency. The power that cell phones hold within the current political state of the world is incredible. Advancements within technology will only increase the use of mobile devices in the political arena.