Friday 27 November 2009

Do They Really Need One?

The first cell phones were not necessarily a convenience. They were not readily available to the public let alone children. Times have changed though. Super computers no longer need an entire room to function and cell phones no longer require you to use both hands to dial. Times they are a changing and fast! So, by the mere essence of this post, I am dating myself when I say that I do not understand why teens view cell phones as a right.

A friend of mine has a son who does not have a job, potential prospects for a job, nor any immediate plans to get one but he does have a cell phone. In fact, he has a very nice cell phone. So nice that in a room full of adults it was the fanciest one there. When asked how much his service costs per month, he very matter of fact stated that it was around $76! Okay, lets get this straight, for 12 months this comes to $912. Let's then consider that for a standard 2-year contract this will amount to $1824!! This is more than what my car is worth. Yet, for this teen it is not a luxury but a necessity and somehow he convinced his mother of this? I do admit that there are fewer and fewer payphones around but guess what? For every 10 people you ask, 8 of them are sure to have a cell phone!