Almost everywhere I go, this little guy tags along.
Within the last 10 years, the cell phone has made it’s way into our everyday lives and has made itself an necessity for most people. Because a good percentage of people own at least one now, you need to have one of your own if you’re going to “stay in the loop”. Whether it’s on the job or just hanging with your friends and family, cell phones now play an important part in our lives.
I must say that I really enjoy this modern technological wonder most of the time. A cell phone makes “making plans” a lot more “spontaneous”. I can be somewhere out and about and receive a call from a friend who’s inviting me to dinner. At the trade show that I was just involved in, cell phones were a very valuable tool utilized by everyone in my company to communicate with each other across the vast show floor. Because of the great calling plans that are now available for cell phones, I was able to get rid of my long distance land line plan all together. In fact, my land line is hardly used now except to receive those pesky “telemarketing” calls for me. So far, my cell phone number has not been “compromised” that much. The list of benefits of cell phones keeps going, not to even mention the capabilities of some to surf the web, play music or capture images etc. etc. Capabilities that I’m sure will become more standard as time goes on.
Like with mostly anything, there are some negatives that we have to deal with as well. For instance, when you’re spending time with someone, trying to have good conversation, maybe at a restaurant or book store…and then your companion receives a call disrupting the flow of your evening. Another frustration are the hands free ear pieces that some have, although great safety devices for talking while driving, are deceiving when you see someone walking down the street seeming to talk to themselves. Maybe you begin to talk to them only to realize afterward that they are already having a conversation with someone else. Ok, just a little venting there.
I think the bottom line is, cell phones are wonderful tools (and toys) that have improved our lives in many ways, but we need to practice “cell phone etiquette” and “use responsibly”.
What’s your thoughts on everyone’s best friend, the Cell Phone?
22 comments:
I have written a couple of posts on my blog about cell phones. Most of my readers know I hate them, not just cell phones but phones in general. Even at work I hate answering the phone, people that know me know better than to call me so they send me emails. Now that's a technology I can't be without.
So, why do I hate them do you ask? My wife worked at a cell phone store since 1990, my first phone was a motorola "brick" that's what it resembled. Then they slimed them down a bit but it wasn't until later that they came up with the flip phone. Because I was on a spouse plan my montly bill was about $5.00 a month.
Stupid thing would not stop ringing so in 1999 I threw mine away and vowed to not have one.
All my blogger friends were laughing at me because for father's day my son in law gave me one, he said I should have a phone because let's face it, everyone owns one, I screamed when he gave it to me and told him noooooo, what have you done? But he said, too late I already bought and he is paying the monthly bill.
I think since father's day I have used it maybe 15 to 20 minutes.
I don't mind people having them, but I really get annoyed when I'm at the bank line and I'm totally listening to someone else's conversations, and they don't care at all. But the worst to me is cell phone users while driving, as soon as it goes on the ballot I'm voting to outlaw using cell phones while driving.
Cell phones have their place but like most things we have taken their use to extreme. As you have guessed from my comments the other day I think it is sad to go someplace wonderful only to hear people talking loudly on their cell phones. Of course the few give the impression that cast the stereotype for the many.
Interesting story Chad. Thanks for your thoughts and a discussion!
I just called triple A yesterday to have my son's car towed back to the house. The lady on the phone was very rude when I told her I didn't have a cell phone. She said in a very mean tone, "there's no one around you that has a cell phone". Well, Hello! Not everyone has a cell phone I told her, and I can't ask a total stranger to stand with me in case they need to call back. This is one of those cell phone vents. Anyway, I like them in an emergency, but hate it when your sitting in a restaurant and they are talking to someone else or worse yet, the cell phone rings in the movie theater! Argh!!! Well, like I said, they are great in an emergency. Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting down people that have them in any way, just think some (NOT all) people should learn some manners with them.
Hey couz... sparking some great debates :) i don't have an extreme view either way. i haven't encountered too much rudeness with my friends and their cell phones. i just ignore the other people out and about. i don't think people THINK with regard to discussions they are having in PUBLIC. but not enough to make me perturbed towards all cell phones. cell phones are great for my business and makes life more convenient. but that won't be for long b/c i won't be able to use my phone at my new house (signal strength is too low). we'll see how i adjust to that!
amongst all the debate , we seem to have forgotten that u took a great pic, Chad!!!Love the lighting on it . For me, I can live with and without Cellphones......Also, love the title...reminds me i need my Pacino fix soon :)
Great discussion and picture. Sometimes I think that phones are a necessary evil. I really get annoyed when I am disturbed by a caller wanting to sell me something that I don't want. If I wanted it I would call them.
Cell phone conversations in cars infuriates me. People drive too slow and are all over the road. Cell phones in restaurants are not good either. I don't want to hear their conversations. I didn't choose to eat with them.
Okay, end of rant. I am glad I have mine but I rarely use it.
Have a great week Chad.
My best frien is my PowerBook...cell phones I can do without...as long as I have my webcam, iChat, blog and Facebook...I am good! :)
*friend*...sorry, I also need my spell checker! :)
Well where do I start; the first time I sat down in the restroom and heard a man in the adjoining stall carrying on a conversation I must say I was taken aback! People using them can be very annoying, I don’t even need to go there but then again without our friend’s cell our vacation could have became a nightmare or in the very least left your mother sick with worry when we didn’t return from the bay as planned.
Technology is great; some of the people using it are not!
ps love the dozer series! Great shots!!!!!
A must have I killed mine last year falling off my horse and of course landing on it....lol.. I still carry it just in a different place now when I ride. So to say it is with you at all times is soo true. Fun blog about cell phones...
I have 300 minutes a month on my cell phone and when I get the bill I have usually used 20 minutes. I almost never use it but I like having it..."just in case".
My travels when I'm out taking photos take me on roads waaaay out of civilization and I feel safer with my phone.
Of course waaaay out of civilization probably doesn't have reception but I can pretend I'm safer :)
Interesting question.
Unfortunately, most of my encounters with this "little friend" have been rather negative.
I've noticed at college, for example, conversations in halls are dwindling (at least in my experience) in part because people resort to text-messaging or playing games on their phones instead of taking the plunge and actually getting to know their classmates. It's a real cop-out from engaging with others (the i-Pod is also a nifty escape mechanism).
The cell phone additionally seems a cop-out of people even having to walk through a crowd alone. I guess it makes people feel more confident to be on their phone or at least staring down at it so they don't have to actually make eye contact with anyone in a crowd. It's also disturbing to be outside on a gorgeous day and see most people hunched down, walking along staring down at their tiny phones and never appearing to look up and enjoy the scenery or all the interesting folk passing them by.
And we've all encountered (as many folks have commented on already) the rude restuarant talkers, the dangerous phone drivers, the crazy bluetooth crowd, and the dreadful movie theatre phone talkers. It's not the cell phone's fault when people have bad manners, but it sure seems a handy outlet for them to display them.
There's my bunch of sour grapes for you. :-) I guess all of that to say I'm not a big fan of the cell. I know I should be more grateful for its benefits...
By the way, as of July next year, California law prohibits anyone from talking on a hand-held phone while driving. Yee-haw!!!
The cell phone... Hmmmmmm.. I hate it when you are in line for your morning coffee and the person in front of you answers the ringing phone and holds everyone up, while they speak LOUDLY to the caller. :) :) Did you ever notice how loud people chat on their cell??? I am always amazed. Cell phones are a great thing to have for emergencies and mine is for business and keeping in touch with my daughter.. I really couldn't run my business without one but there are days I could toss it out the window!!! It is nice to venture to areas of the island where there is NO cell service.. my customers understand that I was out of range vs just not answering their calls... :) :) It is very interesting chatting to my daughter about cell phones since she is 18 and has basically never been without one.. She can not believe that there was life before cell phones...How can anyone exist with one.... No text messaging??? Oh my gosh!!! Now THAT makes me laugh!!! Have a great weekend.. Aloha Renee :)
Oh and nice shot... by the way. I love your lighting.. :) :)
Cool. I bought a Motorazr V3i recently!
I dislike talking on the phone in general, but cell phones are nice to have. I keep one with me, except in the buildings at work where they aren't allowed, and only use them when the car breaks down or something like that.
Like any technology, it's neither good nor bad. It depends on how the item is used. For instance, the cell phone has helped me when my car was skewered by a flying fender from an accident ahead of me, yet they were attempting to ignite a bomb with them recently in the UK.
I can't stand allowing people to be able to get ahold of me whenever they want. It freaks me out a little.
Hey Chad,
I am one of the last people in the world who still don't own one. I like to be unreachable once in a while. Nice shot, though - very cool lighting.
Hey Chad,
To answer your question:
Yep, I do. It's mostly for safety purposes since I am kind of a bad driver and you never know when I might need a way to holler for help...:-)
I barely turned the thing on for months but now I'm actually remembering to do it and the odds are almost 50 % that I might even answer it (which is very high). ;-)
It's a tiny little phone. Which makes it hard to dig up out of a purse.
My Treo 700p = Life In a Box. We have a 2000 min a month plan, but we have 6 lines on that. I have the kids trained well, and they use it after 7 for talking to their friends, and keeping in touch with the family when out and about, which is all the time. It is a good way for family to keep in touch, and it allows me to work remote, which is the only way I can live in Delta. It does not always work as intended however. One time, my wife, and two of my kids were in our Suburban, which also has a limited use phone with the OnStar account. Of the 4 phones in the car, I cound not get a hold of anyone :)
Per your comment on my site today, I have found posting my first reaction to things is not always the best thing to do when you live in a small town, so I tend to work my way down to the 2nd or 3rd thought on some posts :)
I have a cell phone that is very basic - simply to make and receive calls. They are very handy when you need to get in touch with someone and I know I feel safer when I have mine with me. But I think they can be a distraction from living life at times.
I think it's rude when someone is in the store and are talking on the telephone when they're at the cashier's...or when they're with someone in 'real time', but constantly have to be on their phone. It isn't meant to be a replacement from spending time with people we care about, and that's where I have difficulties with them.
(I haven't read your other comments, but need to go back and see if others feel as I do...)
I have 2 cell phones... one for work...one for personal use ...and use it I do....I love them..people don't annoy me when they use them unless they are in the theater or at the opera...but mostly not a big deal..in this day and age of business....very necessary items....On the other hand...I have no clue about ipods, mp3s, face book, laptops...I can only "get with it" with the phones, apparently! nice blog...nice pic.
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