Cell Phones

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Technology is everywhere. It affects every aspect of our lives. Through television, iPods, CD players, MP3s, G.P.S., land-line telephones, and computers, we are in the middle of a technological revolution. One of the most popular pieces of technology is the cell phone. It seems like everyone on Earth has one. Cellular phones first become popular in the early 90s. Originally they were called car phones, because that is what they were designed for. I remember that my aunt had one that fit in a bag, such as a video camera would, and you would take it off the hook like a land line. It had a chord attached to the bag, and an antenna on your car that was key for its use. These car phones were then developed to where they were able to be mounted on the dashboard. Then, you were able to carry them out of the car, but they were huge. Phones now can fit it your back pocket, but these phones were very large. Towards the middle of the 90s, flip phones began to take over. They were still the same size, but now as you flipped it closed, it would end the call. This was revolutionary to cell phone owners at the time.
As time went by, phones seemed to be getting smaller and smaller, but their capability was steadily increasing. When I got into middle school, many of my peers were getting phones. A company, Cricket, had began to offer a plan where you could get a standard phone with call waiting and caller ID, free local calls, and a charger for a very low price. This, to parents, seemed like a good opportunity. With many children of this age being involved in extracurricular activities, the parents would maintain contact with their children. When the company took off, they started making phones that had covers that could be changed and customized. This was so neat to everyone, because your phone could now be personalized to your liking. Soon you could even change the antenna to where it would blink or be of a different color. This was the coolest thing in the world.
Over the years, technology has continued to advance and cell phones have become a necessity in everyone’s lives. There are many more companies that offer wireless service. Many of the larger companies, such as Verizon, Cingular (now AT&T), Sprint, and Nextel are constantly competing for your business. Cell phones are so advanced now. They have turned into mini computers. Anything that you can possiblly think of, you are now able to do on a cell phone.
Ten years ago you could simply see who was calling and receive two calls at once. Now you can do so much more. You can now personalize your phone with ring tones, “ring backs” (which the caller hears as the phone is ringing), pictures, and even voice recordings, which give you the ability to call someone just by saying their name. The internet is accessible through every phone, along with the capability to have conference calls and text messaging. There are games offered on phones as a demo, where you are able to sample certain games within certain levels. Cell phone technology has gotten a little crazy!
The newest bit of technology is the iPhone. This technology was developed by Apple and is offered only through AT&T. The iPOD, which is also a huge revolution in technology now, has been combined with a top-of-the-line cell phone that can make and receive calls, while storing and playing tons of music. This just goes to show how magnificent cell phones have become.
As time goes on, and this revolution continues, people have begun to get rid of their land lines, and are just using their cell phones instead. With society becoming as fast paced as it is, people are inconvenienced by using the phone at their house. Most phone plans now offer free long distance, text messaging packages, and every other amenity that one could think of.
It is crazy to think how a small phone can hold so much technology. What would Ben Franklin or even Alexander Graham Bell think if they could hold a cell phone? Science has come so far, and cell phones are one of the greatest examples of mankind’s accomplishments. Just like our great grandparents with the automobile and our grandparents with the television, my generation will probably be the last generation to remember what the world was like before the “cell phone era”. Now, although I think that the technology within a cell phone is a bit ridiculous, I have a cell phone with text messaging, customized ring tones and pictures, call waiting, caller ID, games, the internet, and so much more. It is practically glued to my head during the day. Although I could live without my cell phone, why would I want to?