Are cell phones an essential part of life these days?

Why is everyone so confused about the purpose of texting? Sometimes you need to tell someone something, but don't want to get into an over-long conversation. The are also plenty of times (eg work, school) where someone won't be able to talk, and might get into trouble if you try to call them the normal way and their phone rings. And for those times a text is perfect. bigfootstew

Taking texts is just as disruptive to me as taking a call.

If I'm in a classroom and can't take a call, then I'm not gonna reply to a text either. Because I'm at work. So leave me alone and stop texting/calling me.

Similarly, if I'm expecting a call that I really NEED to take, I'm still not going to take it on the job or in the classroom. I'll excuse myself, walk out of the immediate area, and then take the call in private so as not to disrupt me classmates/colleagues.

Either way, NO difference between just trying to talk to me.

For some, yes. For others, no. But it is good to have one in case of an emergency.

[QUOTE="Nerd_Man"]

[QUOTE="RJay123"]

And sometimes texting is required. If I was working, I wouldn't call someone in the middle of my job. But I might be more inclined to text. Same thing for c8assrooms or lecture halls.

RJay123

But why is that important? Why do you think texting at all is required for when you're on your job or in a cl@ssroom? In most cases your job or your cl@ssroom wouldn't even allow such things to go on in the first place.

No, it's not required. But if you're trying to set up a time to meet your friends, and one of them changed the meeting time or place at the very last second, it would be good to know before I head out of ****which way I'm headed and how much time I have.

What if my friend has to go to work and I can't call him back after c@ass, I woudn't know what's going on.

I'm not saying texting should be the definitive form of communication, but I don't understand why anyone would question it's existence, as it makes certain situations more convenient.

I'm not questioning the existence of texting; in fact, I'm quite guilty of texting as well. I'm just saying, I think the whole idea of texting is really just a novelty more than anything. It's not required by any means for one to use in life. Every example you've just given really don't have any significance towards life at all. What happened when your friends changed plans before texting was ever innovated into communications? It's not like texting is an old thing. It's at least only a few years old now. I'm sure most of us did just fine getting around in life before texting became a big thing.

I always break or lose mine...so nope not really. Actually I wrote a haiku for this occassion

Where is my cell phone

I have lost it again NO

This Poem sucks alot

For many people it is essential to keep their job, but not for the average person. It is extremely convenient though to have. I don't have a regular phone line in my house anymore. No more telemarketers, I can get my calls anywhere I am, and I can get directions/information without being near a computer.

If I didn't have a cell phone I'm pretty sure I would just fall to the ground, lifeless.

I forgot it at home once a while back, and I've never felt so lost in my entire life.

i have a simple pay as you go phone from Boost, its used only in emergency situations. i screen all my land line calls, and usually wont return calls unless its from someone important...sooo no high tech cell phones for me.

[QUOTE="Hopkins_J"][QUOTE="MrGeezer"]

I guess I'd do whatever it is that people did before cell phones were available.

Serraph105

Well life would be alot harder without it.I use mine quite a bit and I don't even have internet or music or anything like that for it. Ilike to keep in touch with myfriends, my girlfriend, and family, whether I'm making plans or just talking about my day.

I'm puzzled if I come across someone without a cell phone. In today's world, it's nearly required for many logistical reasons. What do you think?

RJay123

Well life would be alot harder without it.I use mine quite a bit and I don't even have internet or music or anything like that for it. Ilike to keep in touch with myfriends, my girlfriend, and family, whether I'm making plans or just talking about my day.

jacob2125

How exactly does it make life easier? The human species existed for thousands of years without the necessity of a cell phone to survive. I could argue it actually makes life harder... by consistantly keep your brain in a state of a hunter mode mentality.. generating constant amounts of stress with no relief.

I haven't had a cell phone in 6 months and I get by just fine. They shouldn't be considered as important to our daily lives as they are (look at the response to the Blackberry Blackouts, it's ridiculous). I have a landline and that's perfect for anyone who needs to reach me when I'm not at work. Yes I force people to actually SPEAK to me on the phone rather than type out words. The whole concept of the text message has been completely twisted and destroyed. People text now constantly when they can just as easily call the person. Doesn't make sense that they'd rather type stuff out on a device that's main purpose is for callling people.

[QUOTE="RJay123"]

I'm puzzled if I come across someone without a cell phone. In today's world, it's nearly required for many logistical reasons. What do you think?

EMOEVOLUTION

Well life would be alot harder without it.I use mine quite a bit and I don't even have internet or music or anything like that for it. Ilike to keep in touch with myfriends, my girlfriend, and family, whether I'm making plans or just talking about my day.

jacob2125

How exactly does it make life easier? The human species existed for thousands of years without the necessity of a cell phone to survive. I could argue it actually makes life harder... by consistantly keep your brain in a state of a hunter mode mentality.. generating constant amounts of stress with no relief.

I've got one....but it's mostly for emergencies.

It's nice to know you can call someone if your car dies in the middle of nowhere or otherwise (which has happened plenty of times :P).

[QUOTE="HorseVillain"]

I've never had a cell phone, I find it hard to come up with reasons to get one.

EmpCom

I've never had a cellphone either, I never needed one. They have their uses and advantages, but for most people they are just toys. They're more of a FAD than anything else.

PDAs are useful though. Now they disguise the mainstream cellphones as PDAs, it's all cosmetic, who are they fooling? The PDA is not an essential either, not unless you need a music player, hard drive, phone, two way radio,hi res camand dozens of other features in the palm of your hand.

Let's face it, it's the american way to have junk we don't need.

[QUOTE="EmpCom"][QUOTE="HorseVillain"]

I've never had a cell phone, I find it hard to come up with reasons to get one.

MagnumPI

I've never had a cellphone either, I never needed one. They have their uses and advantages, but for most people they are just toys. They're more of a FAD than anything else.

PDAs are useful though. Now they disguise the mainstream cellphones as PDAs, it's all cosmetic, who are they fooling? The PDA is not an essential either, not unless you need a music player, hard drive, phone, two way radio,hi res camand dozens of other features in the palm of your hand.

Let's face it, it's the american way to have junk we don't need.

And for the people that don't like texting because it's impersonal....

You're on an online forum where we do nothing but essentially write text messages to each other.

My phone's essential in that I put all my appointments and things I need to remember in it. It's nice having a calendar I can easily pull out of my pocket and check any time. But besides that, it's not an absolute necessity. It's extremely helpful for my social life though; after I got a cell I noticed my social life slowly got better and better, dunno if I'm the only one.

[QUOTE="MagnumPI"]

[QUOTE="EmpCom"] I have one and rarely use it. I just dont understand people who seem to always be useing theirs i mean did they sit all day on landlines before the cellRJay123

I've never had a cellphone either, I never needed one. They have their uses and advantages, but for most people they are just toys. They're more of a FAD than anything else.

PDAs are useful though. Now they disguise the mainstream cellphones as PDAs, it's all cosmetic, who are they fooling? The PDA is not an essential either, not unless you need a music player, hard drive, phone, two way radio,hi res camand dozens of other features in the palm of your hand.

Let's face it, it's the american way to have junk we don't need.

They are currently consideredfashionable and they are in demand therefore they are a F.A.D. There's already faster better technology it's not obsolete yet. And if you'll keep buying cell phones why would they replace them with better tech. They will sell it to you as long as you keep buying it.They're not gonna replace it simply because it's obsolete.

Not essential but extremely useful. Planning stuff with a group of friends is just so much easier with a mobile than it is with a landline as you can easily afford to change your plans on short notice, instead of going all the way back home to contact people. Also appreciate how you know when you call someone's mobile, you know you aren't going to end up talking to some random relative at the other end.

I don't think it is essential - but it is pretty useful