Are We Addicted to Cell Phones?

Hi, my name is Emily and I am a cell phone addict. After talking in class on Tuesday I began to think about my own usage of the cell phone and I realized that many of us find ourselves lost without our cellphones. Turns out, we're not alone. An AOL-Pew Research Center Mobile Lifestyle Survey revealed that 52% of Americans keep their cell phones on at ALL times. As cell phones continue to advance, and incorporate more features one can only assume that this cell phone addiction will become harder and harder to break.

Here is an article from TechNewsWorld that addresses the importance of the cell phone to a great majority of the population. The interesting part for me is when the Gene Koprowski refers to the cell phone as the "constant companion." This took me right back to the discussion we were having in class as to whether or not cell phones are increasing the social capital of society or, in fact, contributing to individualization.

Social capital refers to the connections individuals form with one another and the levels of communication involved in forming and sustaining these connections. In Koproski's article he writes that the AOL-Pew Survey reveals that 65% of young adults ages 18-29 send and receive text messages in addition to simply talking on their phones. In this sense one could argue that cell phones are actually increasing and possibly improving the social capital found in our society. Cell phones also have many different exciting features that add to their appeal. Today cell phones have morphed from just a telephone to include cameras, MP3 players, GPS devices, just to name a few.

While its impossible to deny that the cell phone connects us, I think its also very important to acknowledge the more negative social impacts. Cell phones have isolated individuals from the world in which they live. Instead of making small talk with strangers at the grocery store, getting to know the neighbors, or even just taking in the world in which we live, many of us are so busy talking on the phone or furiously texting to do any of these things. Michael Park of Fox News writes an interesting article that goes as far as to compare cell phones to cigarettes. But, wait, doesn't this seem a bit dramatic? I don't think so. People talk whenever they get the chance. It often doesn't matter where, when, or who may be around people like, and think that they need to talk. (I remember in high school when my mom took my phone away for a week I think I actually started to twitch from withdrawal.) This kind of obsession may improve our connections with those with whom we're communicating but what about all the new people, new conversations, and new experiences we're missing while on the phone?

So in sum, I suppose I'm on the individualization side to the cell phone debate. I do feel that the cell phone is just another innovation (much like the television and Internet) that has caused people to isolate themselves, purposefully or not, from society. It's time to start to think about breaking the addiction! But in the meantime (and for some comic relief), take a look at the Ten Commandments of Cell Phone Etiquette by Dan Briody, of InfoWorld.