Where's My Phone Nicole Blass discusses the benefits of cellular communication

Those of you who don't know what @(*0*)@ and '''^..^''' are have been asleep for the past few months. In Britain, one billion texts are sent every month; a third of 15 to 24 year olds send more than 20 per day and in December 2000, 756 million messages were sent. I don't think that any of us actually realise what a brilliant and convenient invention our mobiles are and without them, although this is an extremely sad thing to admit to, we would be very lost. For those of you who think mobiles are a waste of time and money, I'll give you one word. Safety. Mobiles are essential, especially when out at night. Yes I know you may be saying 'why, it won't beat up an attacker' but there is always the element that if anything did happen you would be able to phone for help. It is because of this that teenagers today have been given far more freedom, parents feel confident that they are able to contact their children at any time. They know their whereabouts more than they would if their child did not have a phone, therefore parents accept the need for mobiles, after all, it is less worry for them. Lives can be saved by immediately using mobiles to call for an ambulance after an accident therefore saving precious minutes. This can sometimes be the difference between life and death. Motorway accidents can also be reduced by reporting dangerous motorway driving straight away, using a mobile phone. Mobiles are a small price to pay for feeling safe. For example take the incident a few months ago in Indonesia, when a group of people were left stranded on a boat, it was because of text messaging that they were able to be rescued, otherwise they would have been left for dead. By texting her boyfriend all the way back home in England and telling him to call the Australian coast guards one of the crew members not only to saved her own life but the lives of twelve others. The invention of the mobile has made a hard day's work so much easier because people are constantly able to keep in touch with the office and save time by sorting out important problems from the train. Mobiles have also helped the media in considerable amounts of ways, as journalists are able to report stories as soon as they see them happening by dictating them over the phone. Years ago journalists would have had to try and find a phone box to report a story where they would probably all be fighting to use the same one. Mobiles nowadays are very handy little things, unlike the huge contraptions your dads owned that had to be carried in great big brief cases. The phones can be put in your pocket and forgotten about until you get your next text message from one of your mates asking 'RU OK?' or 'CU L8ER BOUT 6'. Text messaging in such a quick and informative way of communication rather than start and have to pick up the phone and chat to people. Text messaging is great for those people who have little confidence in talking to people of the opposite sex as you are able to use the messages as a way of flirting. This is unlike the old fashioned way of having to 'oh my god' actually ring the person who you fancied at home and ask them if you could see them. Just remember how lucky we are, as texting saves the embarrassment if that girl or guy of your dreams doesn't phones are the accessory that will never go out of fashion. Mobiles are fashion accessories and these days it would very difficult to try and name three people you know who didn't have a mobile phone. Mobiles come in all different shapes, sizes and colours of your choice. There will always be those situations when you want your phone to ring so as to look 'cool', what does this tell us about youth today? That we are even sadder than our parents were?! Joking apart though, mobile phones are the accessory that will never go out of fashion. That little mobile is not just an accessory to make you look cool, it is your best friend and a lifeline in case of an emergency. To download this article as a Microsoft Word document (.doc), click here.