Teenagers and Cell Phones

Effects of Cellular Phones and Teenagers
Daniella D. Baca
October 27, 2010
J.T. Humber

Effect of Cellular Phones and Teenagers
Technological advances have increased dramatically in the past 40 years. Martin Cooper invented the first cellular phone in 1973, which was called the Dyna Tec, while working for the famous company Motorola (“Want to Know It”).The first cellular phone did not sell well because it was as large as a brick (“Want to Know It”). So now knowing how technology has advanced, it is obvious to see why it is advancing. Although technological advances have affected both the generalized public and society’s teenagers, it seems to have had a larger effect on society’s teenagers, specifically the advances in cellular phones. Not only does cellular phone usage affect a teenager’s social life and literacy, but it also affects their health.
Cellular phones have a great impact on a teenager’s social life. Before cellular phones, the only way to communicate was face to face. One could show what exactly is trying to said, with not only their words but also ones’ own physical expression or emotion. Now, not knowing what exactly the other person is trying to say will just cause a lot of miscommunication. Cellular phones also impact their status in social cliques. If they have the newest or more expensive cellular phone then they obviously has money and therefore needs to be with the popular clique; and if not, well then they will just have to go with one of the less popular cliques. Not being “popular,” can cause teenagers to feel inadequate to others. Not only disturbing their social life at school, but also his home life. On average, teenagers spend a minimum of an hour and a half texting and half-hour talking on their cellular phones (Schulten). Cellular phones interfere with the parent and child bonding process and with the parent and child level of actual physical communication. Also known as sitting down and having a face to face conversation with them, and being able to see physical emotions and reactions to the conversation. For instance, the conversation about sex should not be explained over the phone via text message.
Although cellular phones affect teens’ social lives in a negative aspect, cellular phones can come in handy. Cellular phones are the easiest way to get a hold of a teenager when they are not around to talk to. If Grandpa Jones died, or any other emergency happens cellular phones are definitely convenient. Without a cellular phone, one is not going to know if the scheduled time has changed, or if the plans in general have changed. There are many conveniences of cellular phones and how they positively affect the user. The scheduler icon will remind them of many important dates, ranging from birth dates, anniversaries, doctors’ appointments and, more importantly, school work due dates.
In addition to how cellular phones affect a teenagers’ social life, cellular phones also affect teens’ grammar and literacy. Teenagers use a very wide variety of what is considered to be slang or even abbreviated words. Teens use the first letter of words to communicate as oppose to actually writing the word out. Examples include; laugh out loud (lol), laugh my ass off (lmao) and what the heck (wth). The misspelling of the majority of words creates the opportunity to make a longer text shorter. Neither do teenagers capitalize the beginning of every word after a period, nor do they use any of the proper punctuation. So to demonstrate what a conversation in text messaging would look like, here is an example of a text message: “H3y w@ts up.w@tcha u gng 2 d0 2nite.u gng 2 d@ prty.w3ll h0p3 2 c u thur.” Although teens understand each other, this is how the text should have appeared, “Hey what’s up? What are you going to do tonight? Are you going to the party? Well then I hope to see you there.”
While having a negative impact on teen’s literacy, cellular phones help teenagers express themselves and show their creative side. While teenagers use a lot of shortcuts in making sentences shorter, it takes some real creativity to replace an “e” with a “3”. Or cutting words in half by only using certain letters of the word, however in doing so would do nothing, personally, but cause confusion. Cellular phones expand the teenagers’ minds, by them creating different slang words in order to communicate and understand each other. It is like creating whole different, or a whole new language, just not published.
Furthermore, in addition to the literacy issues with teenagers and cellular phones, comes how teenagers’ health may be affected by the use of cellular phones. Cellular phones are used more by teenagers than the general population; therefore it increases the risk of health problems. Cellular phones are similar to cigarettes (Kelley). Over time nicotine builds up and eventually causes cancer. A cellular phone, on the other hand, sends electromagnetic waves or radiation and within time can cause brain tumors (Kelley). Second hand radiation is worse for society than direct radiation, the same as in cigarettes with second hand smoke. Second hand radiation is established by the antennas sending signals to the wireless devices; for instance, cellular phones. The cellular phones then resend the signals out, which one retains while conversing on the cellular phone. The radiation affects teenagers’ health because radiation can not only cause cancer but also causes brain tumors. Most of the tumors resulting from radiation are malignant and will slowly end in death. The lack of sleep obtained due to late night text messaging or late night phone calls can really take a toll on the ability of concentration (Kelley). When teenagers cannot focus or concentrate during the day will first affect grades, obviously causing them to drop. Following the grades dropping is failing the class, and finally affecting the ability of graduating high school and going to college. That is if the possible tumor that may have been obtained due to the excess use of the cellular phone has not left the individual disabled. Also affecting the male teenagers’ sperm, the electromagnetic waves lessen the males’ sperm count making the possibility of having children more complicated. Research studies also show that teenagers who spend more than four hours a day on the cell phone are more likely to have anxiety and depression later in life (Kelley).
Not only affecting ones’ health in a negative aspect is the fact that cellular phones have saved lives. When an emergency unexpectedly occurs, one is able to make a call to the proper authority. Also, some cellular phones include “various innovative health-centric functions” (Markley). Cellular “phones come with highly-useful features like calorie counters, heart rate counters, steps calculator,”(Markley) and also a “heart beat counter which gives the chance to track the condition of the ailing heart and most importantly warn them before any possible complication” (Markley) .
Technology has had some amazing advances since 1973, when it was first invented. Although affecting the general population, it appeared to have had a larger effect on society’s teenagers. Cellular phones have greatly impacted the teenagers’ social life, literacy, as well as the overall health.

Works Cited
“When was the Cell Phone Invented?” Want To Know It.com. 2010. Web. 27 October, 2010. <http://wanttoknowit.com/when-was-the-cell-phone-invented/> Kelley, Elizabeth. “Cell Phones: Just like Cigarettes.” ICEMS.eu. 10 January, 2010. Web. 24 October, 2010. <http://www,youtube.com/watch?video=XYPtEYIOUupE&feature=player_embedded>
Kelley, Elizabeth. “Cell Phones: Just like Cigarettes.” ICEMS.eu. 10 January, 2010. Web. 24 October, 2010. < http://www,icems.eu/video04.html>
Markley, Andrena. “Mobile Phones in the direction of Health Benefits.” Street Directory.com. 2010. Web. 27 October 2010. <http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/133997/cell_phones/mobile_phones_in_the_direction_of_health_benefits.html>
Schulten, Katherine. “How Much Time Do You Spend ‘Consuming Media’ Everyday?” The New York Times.com. 22 January, 2010. Web. 27 October, 2010. <http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/how-much-time-do-you-spend-consuming-media-every-day/>

Cited: “When was the Cell Phone Invented?” Want To Know It.com. 2010. Web. 27 October, 2010. &lt;http://wanttoknowit.com/when-was-the-cell-phone-invented/&gt; Kelley, Elizabeth. “Cell Phones: Just like Cigarettes.” ICEMS.eu. 10 January, 2010. Web. 24 October, 2010. &lt;http://www,youtube.com/watch?video=XYPtEYIOUupE&amp;feature=player_embedded&gt; Kelley, Elizabeth. “Cell Phones: Just like Cigarettes.” ICEMS.eu. 10 January, 2010. Web. 24 October, 2010. &lt; http://www,icems.eu/video04.html&gt; Markley, Andrena. “Mobile Phones in the direction of Health Benefits.” Street Directory.com. 2010. Web. 27 October 2010. &lt;http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/133997/cell_phones/mobile_phones_in_the_direction_of_health_benefits.html&gt; Schulten, Katherine. “How Much Time Do You Spend ‘Consuming Media’ Everyday?” The New York Times.com. 22 January, 2010. Web. 27 October, 2010. &lt;http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/how-much-time-do-you-spend-consuming-media-every-day/&gt;