Cell Phones: Necessity or Convenience

I was on the phone with my brother, who is in his seventies, and live out of State. During the conversation, I mentioned to him that sometimes I call his home phone and don't get an answer. So, I asked if I could have his cell phone number. He casually answered, oh, we don't have cell phones.

I just couldn't imagine anyone as active as my brother and his wife not having a cell phone. I found it very shocking when he said that they never owned a cell phone. He feels that cell phones are just another luxury that he can live without.

My brother and his wife are both in their seventies, but, they are both very active, and healthy. They get around very well. They are always on the go. I asked how they manage without a cell phone. What if your wife has car problems; or some other emergency comes up while she was out; or she may just want to call from the grocery store to see if you need anything special?

His reply was, we have gotten along without a cell phone all these years, and we just don't have any interest in all this new technology.

I just couldn't believe that in this day and age, my brother and his wife were living without a cell phone. How do they get by without it? I don't know of too many people who don't own a cell phone. Actually, I'm trying to think of someone that I know who hasn't owned a cell phone at least once.

My little 7 year old grandson came to me one day and said, grandma, all the other children in this family has a cell phone, when am I going to get mine? I said well, you are too young for a cell phone. I explained to him that the older children have a cell phone for emergency reasons. For, instance when they are away from home we can contact them if needed and they can call home.

You never go any where alone; I explained to my little grandson; someone is always with you. So, you don't need a cell phone. He argued, sometimes I spend the night with my friends. I told him that he only spends the night with people his parents trust him with. He asked; can I get a phone to text you when I'm at my house and to play games on? I said well, maybe you can borrow your mom or your dad's cell phone. And when you are much older you can have your own.

Approximately one and a half year ago three men tried to kidnap my 14 year old granddaughter. A motorist who was passing by, saw the struggle, she stopped, blew her car horn, and said she was calling 911 on her cell phone; my granddaughter was able to escape and ran home. This was a horrible and devastating experience for the entire family.

When she felt safe enough to walk back and forth to school again; without our escort; we told her to always walk with other children. My daughter bought a cell phone for her and her 13 year old brother to carry with them whenever they are away from home. Cell phones also have a great tracking device on them. It is a very important service to have; even though we may never need it. It can be used to tract missing or lost persons.

There are cell phones that play music, some has a computer, a map, ready link, and the list goes on and on.

Disney has a cell phone with GPS technology that allows the parent to tract the location of the handset. This was designed for parents with children between 10 and 15 years old. Parents can control the times and days the children use the cell phone.

All of the grandchildren in my family, except the little 7 year old, have a cell phone. I am legal guardian of four of my grandchildren. I initially bought the cell phones for emergency use. However, it's gone far beyond that. My grandchildren text their friends so much, I decided to add unlimited text to the plan on each cell phone. We have the family share plan, so, in order not to go over the minutes; all of the grandchildren do a lot of texting.

Individuals use the cell phone for many different reasons; including video taping, and taking pictures. Individuals also use the internet for sharing videos and pictures. Most phones come with games and a calculator. Cell phones come with all kinds of useful features. I agree that most features on a cell phone are for leisure and pleasure. Yes, cell phones are a convenience. It's a luxury. However, it is a very handy device to own and in many cases I can see it as a necessity.

One day I left home to run a short errand, I ended up in a fender bender. That's the one time I accidentally left my cell phone at home. Boy, was I relieved when at least three people around, offered to let me use their phones. I was able to call home to let the family know that I would be held up for an hour or so.

In emergencies, cell phones beat looking for a pay phone. Usually when a pay phone is found, it is out of order.

A couple of times, I was in the position where I had to use road side assistance that comes with my plan. I don't care for the 45 to 90 minutes wait time. If they could cut down on the wait time, the service would be awesome. I only use the road side service as a last resort; because I don't like the long wait. But, it comes in very handy as a last resort.

My grown children and my grandchildren have distinct rings for different individuals. So they can know who is calling.

The phones that are equipped with cameras and videos are fun to use; however, they can also be very helpful in cases of an emergency.

Even though my brother wouldn't agree with me, I believe that cell phones are a convenience and a luxury; however, I can see it as a necessity in a lot of cases. I know it's not a necessity like food or water. But, I need my cell phone.