[Brix]

Do you think our life back then will be so much easy when we already have a mobile phone not just a normal telephone?

 

[GiGi]

No way! Our parents were sharper than we are on today's kids. When I was a kid I wouldn't have wanted a phone so my parents could call me home or keep tabs on me.
There would have been none of this talking back and telling my parent's that I'd be home later, or throwing a fit, or not answering my phone when my parent's called. Face it, we've spoiled are kids because we didn't want to be as hard on them as our parents were on us. Now, they know more about technology than we do and they run circles around most parents.

 

[Jojo]

Why.. because we let them..... Of course though I moved out super early in life.

 

[GiGi]

So true, JOJO.

To this day, I hate my cell phone. I keep it on vibrate and everyone knows not to call me unless it's an emergency. I refuse to text because people come up with useless crap to tell you about that they could have waited till they saw you to tell you or that you didn't need to know anyway. And then they get mad if you don't answer them. There are just too many people now that freak out if they are alone with their thoughts.

And don't get me started on how stupid Twitter is.

 

[benfoldsfive dude]

I don't like mine, and I'm Generation Y.

 

[Neon Knight]

To this day, I hate my cell phone. I keep it on vibrate and everyone knows not to call me unless it's an emergency. I refuse to text because people come up with useless crap to tell you about that they could have waited till they saw you to tell you or that you didn't need to know anyway. And then they get mad if you don't answer them. There are just too many people now that freak out if they are alone with their thoughts.

And don't get me started on how stupid Twitter is.

I couldn't have said it better myself...that's why I refuse to get a cell phone no matter how "cheap" they offer them for. I had one and it cost me a fortune as my only phone and I'm not about to pay for 2 either. I got people mad at me when I was really sick and didn't want to talk to anyone so I turned off phone for a week, if someone freaked out at me for doing that for a day I'd tell them where they can stuff their stupid phones and texts. I don't know if it's only about being alone with their thoughts as much as being desperate attention whores who need the world to know when and how they brushed their teeth. Other people reading it=Fame for them I think.

Twitter: Dumbing down the populace one twit at a time.

 

[GenXer]

Oh hell no!!!! God, and rape my childhood with that crap staring at a device all day. F that.

 

[Tulipgarden]

If I had a cell phone my parents would have used it as a tool to restrict me. I would have gotten into trouble for too many texts and using too many minutes. I bet they would have taken it away at night cause I used to get into trouble for sneaking being on the phone past 10pm. They would have been able to track me down and keep tabs on me just like they do now and I'm 38 years old and it drives me nuts.

 

[Peripheral]

I doubt it'd be any different than how kids deal with it now.

 

[Still Standing]

I've never owned even the most basic cell phone and I'm 43 (this might change with my new professional situation, however). While I own a Facebook and a Twitter account, I barely use them at all. I pity the folks who spend their lives addicted to these things and need to keep their cell phone next to their pillow at night because they could miss something SUPER IMPORTANT if they didn't. Heck, I mute the ringer and the answering machine on my fixed phone before I go to bed!

I'm really glad I wasn't imposed one of those things growing up. A security device for emergencies? Ha! More like a control device, if you ask me.

 

[Zster]

My employer sprang for a Blackberry (the company pays for the plan) when my husband died and they were worried i might quit work to raise my kids. Honestly, I get no signal in my houuse, or in my lab/office, and I absolutely turn the thing off while in my car (driving) - so when is anyone going to reach me that way? While I am out shopping?

I do not see how, in such a short time, people became so hopelessly addicted to needing to be constantly in touch after generations of your phone staying at home on the wall. I hope that the pendulum of hysteria swings back to a more neutral position.

There are times that we do not need to be reachable: when one on one with a personal friend, or while in the bathroom come to mind.

That said, there are times that the convenience is nice. I buy a cheap phone for my kids' trips away from home. Funny thing, they wont talk to me on them, but they wil text like crazy, which reads as a travelog of sorts. it's also nice to have the cell when my car breaks down or something happens. (try finding a pay phone these days!)

 

[INFJAnimal]

I had one (which I called my leash) in my 20s as a real estate agent. Anyone remember those Motorola bricks back in the 90s. Well, I had the Nokia versions. Got out of the biz and didn't look back. Dumped the phone and the contract. The only reason I have an iPhone now is because my wife insists that she has a way of contacting me when I'm out of the house. Well...I'm at home right now...and it's OFF! She wants to contact me, she can get a hold of me via the good ol' landline.

 

[SuccessGenX]

I must be the exception, because I love my iPhone. I grew up without any phone, but now I'm making up for lost time

 

[Anonynony]

Gen Y, I love cell phones because I prefere texting. Cell phones have opened me up to communication I didn't think was possible when I was younger! lol

 

[Varkman]

Gen X had beepers, though I hated calling people's beepers. The menus were confusing if they even existed - sometimes it would just beep at you when you called it and you didn't know what to do from there. I never had one myself, too poor.