There they go, driving down the street with their phones pressed against their ears, paying little or no attention to what they are doing. Or they are in the grocery story, forgetting what they were supposed to get as they chat away. Or they are in church, with musical ringtones as the congregation and pastor look perturbed. Cell phones are indeed addictive and getting more so every day to millions of people. I first saw this phenomena in Hong Kong about 10 years ago and wondered then if we Americans would go around with our faces glued to those little cell phones. Didn’t take long.
In any airport, people are carrying on serious conversations. I have heard lawyers talking about the judges they stand before, doctors talking about patients, and spouses lying about where they really are. I have heard such personal conversations that I have moved away so as not to get into really private matters. I once was driving behind a woman who stopped dead in traffic because she was so into her cell conversation. People get to talking and forget where they are which poses a threat to the rest of us.
And yes, cell phone addicts can be terribly rude. Their conversations are more important than anyone or anything else. You are having a conversation and the person’s cell phone gives off a melody and you are ignored as if you didn’t exist. Often there is the hand wave, finger up saying ‘hold on’ signal to you, saying
I’ll be brief. Have you ever been to a restaurant enjoying a nice meal when some obnoxious fool takes a call and has to continue on with it, no matter how many dirty looks he gets?
Almost 50% of American surveyed indicated they cannot cope without their cell phones. They view the cell as a stress reliever and without it they feel tense and irritable. So cell phone usage is a problem when it starts to control your behavior. Now let me say right up front I am a cell phone user and want to be able to stay in touch. But if I didn’t have it I would not go beserk. (Well, maybe not immediately.)
Texting is another function of cell phones and the teenagers especially love this means of conversation. This can be a problem when the used minutes exceed what was contracted for in the plan. Teens will readily tell you that they are addicted to their cell phones. Parents will tell you they throw up their hands and scream.
If you are a person who cannot stand the thought of missing a call because your cell phone was not with you, you probably are addicted. If you are upset being at a place where they do not allow cell phones, you might be addicted. If you use your cell to avoid having to deal with people who upset you or seem to be demanding your time, you very well may be addicted.
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