The 2000 U. S. Census has reported four out of 10 Americans own cell phones.
Like microwave ovens and VCRs, cellular phones have become an integral part of American society.
Available equipped with such extras as Internet access, games or two-way radios, cell phones are useful and, as the events of Sept. 11 illustrated, they can also be important links to loved ones during emergencies.
After Sept. 11, as many as two million people bought cell phones, according to the Yankee Group, a Boston technology research company.
Memphis cellular technology providers said they noticed a rush of customers immediately following the attacks.
“Many people who had never owned a cell phone before were buying them,” said a representative of cellular mobility with Cingular Wireless. “People saw what cell phones could do when people called loved ones from airplanes and burning buildings. They saved lives.”
A representative of Voicestream Wireless in Memphis said the company also saw a temporary — but dramatic — increase in cell phone sales.
“People came in saying that they were buying a phone in case of emergencies,” the representative said.
As the popularity of cellular technology increases, the stigma formerly attached to cell phones may be diminishing, with evidence of some secondary schools rethinking bans on cell phones on campuses and changing those rules to require students to keep them turned off during school hours.
In 2001, at least 20 states introduced bills that restricted the use of cell phones in cars to handless sets, but none have banned cell phones in cars completely.
“I love cell phones. They’re very convenient,” said Traci Thearp, who works in marketing research at Wolfchase Galleria. “That’s why I wanted one while I was pregnant, because I didn’t want to get stranded out on the road alone. They are imperative,”
However, others remain skeptical that cellular technology is more of a convenience than a necessity.
“I was rear-ended by a guy talking on a cell phone,” said Lee Williams, a student in the teacher certification program at The University of Memphis. “I don’t think they’re necessary.”
Williams said he had a cell phone in the past for emergency situations, but had his service canceled when he realized he never really needed it.
“I’m not in that big of a hurry,” Williams said.
The American Automobile Association recently conducted a survey of AAA members, which revealed that 80 percent believed cell phones in cars are an important safety device.
However, emergency use is not a good enough reason for some students to buy cell phones.
“I don’t think Sept. 11 changed anything about cell phones,” said Tarrin McGhee, a freshman English major. “Cell phones are convenient, but definitely not a necessity.”
