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I wanted to take the time this week to raise some interesting points about cell phones, considering that I would bet money everyone in the class has one. I got my first cell phone very early on, around 1998, and I did so only because it had that cool snake game on it! I have been using a cell phone pretty much ever since. Do I like having a cell phone? NO!! I hate it, but it has honestly become a part of my life, as random as that sounds. We are all creatures of habit and honestly I would argue that nearly everyone in our class "NEEDS" their cell phone. The problem with having a cell phone is first of all the cost! The average monthly cell phone bill in North America is about $82.00. Can you imagine how much these companies are making in profit every year? The second is the health issue. Although it is still not conclusive, cell phones reportedly cause brain tumors and other disorders. The third downside of using a cell phone of course is that they can, and often do, cause accidents because people use them while operating machinery and driving. So what is it about the cell phone that makes it so appealing to everyone? Well I think that first of all this is a social phenomenon. Using Lisa's 17 year old sister as an example, I began to realize that teens would often rather use their phones and text one another than actually meet in person. One statistic I came across revealed that the average cell phone user sends around 250 texts per month. Although there are often text message bundles and plans, this number is still profound. Some users can send anywhere from 250 - 4000 messages per month. 4000 messages per month averages out to 129/day!!! Who has that kind of time? It is a quick and easy way to communicate and so it is appealing. But the new cell phones don't stop with text messaging and now picture messaging. The new smart phones let you do just about anything! A smart phone has the ability to e-mail, live chat, video chat, conference chat, surf the web, use GPS, play games and even come as MP3 players. Again, as with my post on the automotive industry, what next? I honestly love having my cell phone and I don't know if I could survive with it, but I mean is this really necessary or has this just been a fad and a fashion statement. Cell phone companies are charging 400-600 dollars for their phones unless you are lured into a contract for 3 years! If this trend continues what happens next? Anyways, I gotta go someones calling me! ;)