How a Cell Phone Changed My Life

When it comes to cell phones, practicality is not the first thing I consider. Many people are satisfied with just “having a phone that works”, but that’s never been good enough for me. I’ve owned my own cell phone ever since the fifth grade; a technology that none of my friends had at the time. Most kids would be happy just having a phone to begin with, but I have always enjoyed being a step ahead of everyone else. By the time my friends were getting their first cell phones, I was already on my second. I see my cell phone as an extension of my personality, so for my 17th birthday, I asked for a phone that can do pretty much everything and my life has never been the same.

The purpose of my phone extends far beyond making calls. I can access my email, use the Internet, create word documents, take pictures, listen to music, and do just about anything else. My phone has saved the day on numerous occasions and has kept me entertained for months on end. Of course cell phones have forever changed our lives, but smartphones are the greatest development in the cell phone industry thus far.

The best feature on my phone is certainly the Internet. My friends often tell me that they think it’s a waste of money and an unnecessary luxury, but being able to go online at any given time has proven to be exceptionally useful. Last year, while vacationing in San Diego, my mom and I decided that we wanted to drive to Los Angeles the next day and continue our vacation there. Sitting in a restaurant overlooking the ocean, I used my phone to look at hotel reviews, search travel sites for the best rates, and Mapquest directions from point A to point B. As my mom and I were debating what sassafras was while driving along the Pacific Coast Highway, I was able to go on Wikipedia to learn everything I’ll never need to know about sassafras.

Another great feature on my phone is email. I’ve added both of my e-mail accounts to my phone and can check them simply by pressing a button. During a trip to San Francisco with my dad, his laptop broke: something very unfortunate since he relies on email communications for his business. Before he had a chance to panic, I had set up his email account on my phone and he could continue his business as usual for the remainder of the trip. Days before, my dad was knocking my phone and now he wanted one of his own.

The third notable feature is Pocket versions of popular Office programs , the most useful for me being Word. Last year, I had to work with a classmate on a Pro/Con paper, and it was required to reference each other’s paper in our own. I had not had a chance to write my paper yet, so during my brother’s soccer game one night, I sat in the bleachers and wrote my paper on my phone. As soon as I had finished,