We can all agree that technology has changed the way we go about our lives, in good ways and in bad. I want to focus primarily on the way cell phones have changed our way of living. I also want to talk about how texting has made my life miserable. Every year cell phones change, and so do the people holding them.
When I first started high school, my parents didn't think twice about letting me have a cell phone. In high school these days, gossip spreads like wildfire thanks to the influence of cell phones. I got the first hand view on how things changed when I started school because I was the only one without a phone. When I talked to people, I listened to the person talking to me, and got a first-hand glimpse of what was going on in my circle of friends. By the time my senior year came around, I found myself talking to walls. People became way more interesting in their texts, then my voice. I remember getting that hold on a second finger like 10 times in half an hour. Then came the rules. There were so many rules about not having your cell phone in class, and people still did it. It was the whole sneak it under the desk when the teacher is not looking and it never really worked. The punishment for breaking this rule was your cell phone was taken and locked up until a parent came and got it. Seems pretty childish.
When I first started high school, my parents didn't think twice about letting me have a cell phone. In high school these days, gossip spreads like wildfire thanks to the influence of cell phones. I got the first hand view on how things changed when I started school because I was the only one without a phone. When I talked to people, I listened to the person talking to me, and got a first-hand glimpse of what was going on in my circle of friends. By the time my senior year came around, I found myself talking to walls. People became way more interesting in their texts, then my voice. I remember getting that hold on a second finger like 10 times in half an hour. Then came the rules. There were so many rules about not having your cell phone in class, and people still did it. It was the whole sneak it under the desk when the teacher is not looking and it never really worked. The punishment for breaking this rule was your cell phone was taken and locked up until a parent came and got it. Seems pretty childish.
This is something I wouldn't have imagined when I first started high school. If you walk through a cafeteria at lunch time these days, you will likely see 3/4ths of the student’s have their heads planted into their cell phones. My favorite of course is when people bump in to you because they are walking and texting. I am almost completely against texting in general. Texting has changed the way we interact with one another.
A huge issue we are seeing today is texting and driving. People are dying left and right because of texting while driving or being hit by someone texting. In my eyes, texting while driving is almost the same as drinking and driving. Both impair your judgment on the road. Statistics are even showing texting and driving kills more people. States are banning texting and driving now, and I just cannot believe it has gone that far. http://texting-while-driving.org/tag/texting-while-driving-statistics shows you the comparisons between drunk driving and texting while driving.
I know there are many people who completely disagree with me. Some people feel texting is the greatest thing to ever happen on Earth. They do not need to call someone all the time, they can just shoot them a quick text. Now, you can also access the internet on your phone. I feel this just means there will be more people bumping in to me now. Another huge problem with texting and cell phones is cheating, which was why it was banned in schools in the first place. People now have the ability to text the answers to tests to other students. What happened to the good old write the answers on the eraser trick? In a recent study, more than 1/3 of teens admit to cheating with cell phones. To see the other parts of this study, visit http://www.commonsensemedia.org/hi-tech-cheating .
Overall, I feel texting is doing more bad than good for us. People need to quit texting and driving, and cheating through their phones. In the end, it is not worth it. I cannot believe it has gotten this bad, and I hope the future improves. Almost all teens have cell phones now, and it just keeps increasing. It is a dangerous tool.
