Can You Hear Me Now??

I don't know about you, but I feel like I can't go anywhere or do anything without my trusty cell phone in hand. I think cell phones are used by our society more than anything to stay connected with each other. And they honestly should not even be called phones anymore. Let's be honest, most of us text, check our Email, check our Facebooks, and update our Twitter accounts more than we actually make phone calls on it. Recent studies have even shown that texting is beginning to replace talking. According to a 2008 national survey done by CTIA and HarrisInteractive, 57% of teens view their cell phone as the key to their social life, and 47% of teens said that their lives would be worsened or would actually end if they no longer had the option to text. Cell phones are capable of pretty much anything that can be done on the computer--maybe even more in some cases--especially with the introduction of the iPhone a few years back. It doesn't seem like that long ago that it was a huge when my dad got a "car phone" installed for work, or when Zach Morris, from Saved by the Bell, would carry around that huge cellular telephone,which was actually larger than any of my landline house phones.

Over the last twenty years, cell phones have transformed from bulky phones carried in your car in case of emergency to mini computers that make you feel naked or incomplete if you lose it or leave it at home for the day! Some families now only use cell phones to stay connected--my dad's house included-- because they don't have a landline at all anymore, instead, solely rely on cell phones. According to the 2009 Nielsen ratings, 21% of American homes are cell phone only homes, and the number continues to increase each year. The fact is that landlines are becoming obsolete due to the genius cell phone.

My question is--are computers next? We are now able to stay connected through Email, social networking sites, video chat--just to name a few!-- all through our phones. According to the Pew Internet Project, 83% of adults in America have cell phones, and of those, 35% have accessed the wireless internet through their phones. It is obvious that cell phones are taking over and are becoming (if they aren't already) the number one way for people to stay connected.