cell phones - a dangerous animal

[ryan costa]

Cell phones are very convenient sometimes. Yet they also decrease my quality of life.

They've increased the quantity of annoying conversations I have to overhear, while also decreasing the quality. Maybe this is just because I live in Cleveland. I overhear the annoying cell phone conversations. And I overhear people talking about their cell phone conversations. Most of it is very volatile and repetitive gossip. Sometimes the same phrases are repeated a dozen times: the participants seem to understand the words, but the communication requires some minor change in emphasis during constant reiteration. the closer you get to Tower City the more it happens.

It is hard to walk on the sidewalk of a main street, or ride a bicycle on the side of a main street. This is for two reasons. A regional past time for many residents is driving under the influence. Another past time is to pull into the intersection before stopping. When this happens, the drivers are usually looking to their right instead of toward their left. And they are holding a cell phone to their ears. Sometimes they are holding a cell phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other. With any luck there is loud hip hop music playing over the car stereo and a few baby seats in the back seat.

I generally refuse to answer my cell phone if I am driving, unless I am on an uncrowded highway. It is extremely frustrating to try listening to a phone and drive at the same time, but I experience the same problem with chewing gum and walking.

Cell phones can stunt the intellectual development of many teenagers. In the past they had to save up their gabbiness for actual meetings with each other. With cell phones it just gets way too trivial.