The New Generation

I recently read an article about teens believing that cell phones have become more important to them than the clothes they wear. This is according to a national survey given by the wireless trade association CTIA and Harris Interactive, http://tech.msn.com/news/articlecnet.aspx?cp-documentid=10363010. They surveyed 2000 teens; the survey was called “Teenagers: A Generation Unplugged”. Some of the teens also believed that you can judge a person’s popularity based on the cell phone that person uses. Adolescents represent a new and important market for cell phone use; the article states that about 80 percent of teens carry a cell phone. This has gone up from 40 percent in 2004. That statistic alone says speaks a lot about the new generation. Half of the teens who took that survey stated that their cell phone is the key to their social lives.


I think that article is intriguing . Teenagers are so consumed by their phone that, it has come to a point where they are defined by the phone they use. The more high tech and attractive the phone, the more popular and rich you are perceived to be. Wow, is the only comment that I can express. If this is truly the case, I should begin to wonder how I am perceived because I surely do not have the latest and highly technologically advanced cell phone. I am the type of person who just needs something that functions.
I believe this generation is definitely unplugged. I believe this because the teenagers have literally grown up in the “mobile” era. The first commercial cell phone service began in October of 1983 (CTIA). Cell phones have been something we grew up knowing about, the age of the users are getting younger. I personally have seen 7, 8, and 9 year olds with them. What can they do with a cell phone? Technology has become an adolescent’s primary form of entertainment. They are unplugged from the social world, and plugged into the technological world of internet, video games, and cell phones.


In relation back to class, it’s interesting how regular telephones are now seen as an “invisible technology” (Unit 3), which means that we don’t really have enthusiasm or skepticism for it now; it’s a sign of a mature technology. However, the cell phone has now been becoming more and more prevalent, necessary and has become a defining factor of social status among our youth according to the survey. It surely causes for skepticism about the level of performance and abilities which can be a disadvantage of computer mediated communications that were discussed in class. With it comes, lack of personal skills, and sometimes can become a huge consumer of time.