Cell Phone Culture

America has become a cell phone nation.

It's a clock, MP3 player and camera all rolled into one-there is practically nothing a cell phone can't do anymore. From BlackBerry's to Palm Pilots and everything in between, cell phones are fast becoming a vital item in this day and age.

It is hard to remember what life was like before everything a person desired was readily available with the push of a few buttons.

According to Most-Popular.net, in 2006, Cingular and Verizon Wireless had around 57 million subscribers while Sprint Nextel Corporation had approximately 52 million users. And that's not even counting millions of other people who have phones through networks like Virgin Mobile, T Mobile or Helio.

"If I lost my phone I would have to immediately go purchase a new one," senior Crystal Sendejas said. "I would consider my phone a life line. It has come in handy numerous times. I can't imagine life without it."

Many people guess that teen demographics are the reason for the cell phone boom in our country and they would be incorrect.

"People between 25 and 50 are our largest customer demographic," said Roxie Ramirez from Sprint Corporate Communications in Texas and Oklahoma.

While that statistic may come as somewhat of a puzzler, it goes to show that cell phones have transcended a generation. With all the bells and whistles that cell phones offer, it is no wonder, that regardless of age, people want the latest and greatest in technology.

One of the standout phones of 2006, according to a survey conducted by Most-Popular.net, was the Motorola RAZR.

"I own a Motorola RAZR from Sprint," senior Haley Butts said. "It's pretty and red, but it does actually take good pictures!"

The RAZR offers users such features as Bluetooth wireless technology, video playback and a high quality camera with a 4x digital zoom. Not to mention, it also boasts a polyphonic speaker with MP3 ringer support so people can jam out with their favorite songs.

This phone may have cornered the market in 2006, but every day new and improved phones hit the streets.

"The Sony Slider S500 is our most popular phone," Jennifer Armor of West Central Wireless said. "It gives users the ability to send picture messages, streaming video and can be used as an MP3 player."

It is quite remarkable what cell phones are capable of. Just over a decade ago, cell phones only had the cheesy ringers that they came with, and taking pictures with a cell phone seemed to be an absolutely absurd idea. Now, people can compose their own ringers, or download music using the Internet on their own phone, not to mention take live video feed.

Some cell phones are so immensely packed with amenities they could make a computer blush.

A prime example would be the Apple iPhone, which sold over 500,000 units in its first week on the market, according to Engadget.com. This "super phone" has a touch screen keypad, integrated iPod and a zippy Internet connection. The iPhone managed to take just about every aspect of modern technology and roll it up into a 4.8-ounce package.

Although, up-to-the-minute news, sports scores and TV shows can all be checked or watched in a matter of seconds on a cell phone, it's hard to remember the original intention of the cell phone: to send and receive calls.

"Having a cell phone is a means of being in constant contact," junior Dan Douangkesone said. "You're accessible 24 hours a day."

The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association projected that in 2006, 233 million people had cell phones in the US, making 76 percent of the population wirelessly connected to one another.

It would appear that cell phone culture has no plans of disconnecting any time soon.