Decades

Our relationship to technology has changed a lot over time.

Storytelling doesn't have to follow a linear timeline. But here's a walk through the history of the mobile phone in chronological order.

Photo: NBC/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Illustration: TTWW

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Rise of the gig economy

Members rally during a California Gig Workers Union demonstration on October 12, 2022, in San Francisco. They are holding protest signs about labor protections for gig work.

Mobile apps enabled temporary, flexible jobs. The entire process, from finding a job, accepting it, completing it, to getting paid, often takes place through the mobile app.

Rise of cyberbullying

Photo of a young person hanging their head, holding a mobile phone, swarmed by harassing text messages.

Cyberbullying has escalated as more people connect online, affecting many, especially youths. Persistent, invasive, and often anonymous, this form of harassment can occur...

M-Pesa enables mobile payment economy in Kenya

Customers make money transfers at an M-Pesa stall in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2011.

M-Pesa is a virtual banking system that uses a SIM card to provide transaction services. The system allows users to deposit, transfer, and withdraw funds using their mobile...

iPhone released

Apple’s first iPhone ad features a supercut from TV shows and movies saying, “Hello,” like Dustin Hoffman, Marilyn Monroe, and Will Ferrell. “Hello” first ran on February 25, 2007, during the Oscars.

The release of the iPhone in 2007 revolutionized the smartphone setting a new standard and changing how we interact with technology. Steve Jobs famously described the iPhone...

“Fear around notifications, photos, revealing just how out of integrity I was”

Anonymous, 1972

Infinite scroll invented

Mock up of Shakespeare infinite scrolling on an iPhone. The fabric of the text extends beyond the screen in a pile of fabric.

Infinite scroll is a design technique used where content continuously loads as the user scrolls down the page or screen. Popular on social media platforms like Instagram and...

Flash mobs

Capture of the Macy's 'love rug' flash mob, with organizers and many participants examining the rug in question.

Popular in the mid-2000s, flash mobs are sudden gatherings of people, often for entertainment or artistic purposes. Organizers usually told participants when and where to...

BlackBerry 5810 released

Image of a BlackBerry 5810 with the application screen options including calendars, email, and phone calls.

RIM unveiled the BlackBerry 5810 as its first smartphone. It was marketed as a “breakthrough in wireless convergence that delivers email, phone, SMS, browser, and organizer...

“Thumb tribe” emerges in Japan

Illustration depicts woman reading a novel on her flip phone.

The "thumb tribe" or "thumb generation" refers to the tech-savvy youth who grew up using mobile phones with touchscreens, relying on their thumbs for texting and navigating...

September 11th (9/11) attacks

Memorials: Mobile phones and other communication devices found in the rubble from the September 11 attacks in 2011 on the World Trade Center are displayed as part of a new exhibit in Washington D.C.

When terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, cell phones played a vital role. People trapped in the buildings, passengers on hijacked planes, and...

Patriot Act passed

Political cartoon featuring Uncle Sam weighing the benefits of privacy and security.

The Patriot Act, hastily passed after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, was a law in the United States. It granted the government increased surveillance powers to investigate and...

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  • Chelsey Petty-Dale
  • *
  • Cody Brooks
  • *
  • Willow Idlewild
  • *
  • Confidence Osein
  • *
  • Eli Pariser
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  • Dana
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  • Domsk
  • *
  • Eli Boahen
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  • Emily Best
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  • *
  • Erik Matthies
  • *
  • Grace
  • *
  • Ina
  • *
  • Jasmine Sun
  • *
  • Jeffrey Abramson
  • *
  • Jim Remsik
  • *
  • Coraline Ada Ehmke
  • *
  • Kaitlin
  • *
  • Kane
  • *
  • Kris Boustedt
  • *
  • Kristen
  • *
  • Laura Heery
  • *
  • Laura Kalbag
  • *
  • Ligaya
  • *
  • Lorna Craig
  • *
  • Maira Elahi
  • *
  • Meghan
  • *
  • Nick
  • *
  • Owen
  • *
  • Pablo
  • *
  • Patrick McDermott
  • *
  • Reuben Johnson
  • *
  • Rosita
  • *
  • Sam
  • *
  • Sara M. Watson
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  • *
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