What is a cell phone? Is it a device we use to make calls? Or is it so much more than that? In today’s society, people no longer use their cell phones to make calls. They use it to browse the internet, text, email, check the stock market, store music in the music library, play games…you get the point. Over time, cell phones have evolved from being a chunky gray brick to being a sleek and skinny touch-sensitive device. But which device is better?
The evolution of the cell phone has eroded people’s social skills. Many people resort to texting or emailing rather than picking up the phone and making a call. They let these small devices hold the conversations for them. In the New York Times Idea of the Day blog, some people are making the assertions that phone calls are dead and I have to agree. What happens when you see someone on your caller ID that you don’t want to talk to? You most likely ignore it and will text them later. This is a habit I have often found myself resorting to multiple times a week and I am sure many people are just as guilty.
Cell phones are no longer just phones; they are people’s lifelines. Most people will not leave their house unless their cell phone is in hand. On a daily basis, I bet you can easily spot a handful of people more focused on their cell phone than the people surrounding them. Studies have shown that nearly 50% of teenagers agree that their social life would be over if they were unable to text. Unfortunately, the majority of the time people spend on their cell phones are not for making calls, but rather texting and emailing. You will find many people of older generations asking themselves this question, what has this world come to?
