I saw a Feedback Friday topic.
Are cell phones a luxury or a necessity?
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I allow myself the luxury to NOT have a cellphone. I highly enjoy that nobody is able to call me when I´m out with my kids, leave messages on a machine so I can´t deny I got them, or trace me. If I feel like I need to connect with people, there are still plenty of other possibilities.
ReplyDeleteNECESSITY! I have three sons in college. Cell phones and text messaging are our primary means of communication. University dorms and rentals don't even have land lines any more. Plus when you are texting on campus, no one knows you are 'talking' with mom! My iPhone is with me all the time.
ReplyDeletexo Cathy
BUT...I do not think they should be provided free by the government, ie us taxpayers!
ReplyDeletexo Cathy
Hmm...That's a tough one. There sure aren't payphones on every corner like there used to be. I know i wouldnt want to be without one if i were in trouble. I'm sure they're not giving away iPhones either. Just don't tell me when they start subsidizing tv's which I'm sure everyone on food stamps likely has already anyway!
ReplyDeleteMorning Jen,
ReplyDeleteThought your followers might be interested in this info
http://www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/benefits.aspx
According to this article, NO taxpayers money is being used to fund this. I think it involves cell phones as opposed to land lines because..well qualifiers probably don't even have a land line phone (I think they are becoming obsolete).
The basis for this program has been around for quite a while. I know this because I have been around for a quite a while. ;-)
President Reagan started it as Lifeline and it has been operating since then.
Interesting topic...lot's of pros and cons.
Basically, No, I don't feel cell phones are a necessity..I survived my young life without one and turned out fine (I think).
Thanks for asking
janet xox
http://theemptynest-janet.blogspot.com
sorry, but are you kidding me?!? first of all, i have one and use it only when i travel. i don't even get service at my house, so to me a cell phone is no biggie! yes there are some that need them due to medical issues or like the woman in the comment above. by people OVER USE them waaaay too much! but for the government to pay for it, NO WAY! that is what is wrong with the country, always needing what everyone else has. what happened to people being self sufficient and knowing how to take care of themselves? you can't afford it, you don't get it. plain and simple, yes they make life easier for some...just like a finished house would make my life easier, but we couldn't afford to renovate it all at once so we saved every little penny we had and now we are working away renovating it all by ourselves. we are sacrificing everywhere to be able to pay for it. we give up in areas that we can and make due by living a simple life. ok, guess i better stop now, cuz i think i could keep going and maybe offend lots of people and i don't want too! i just think we allow people to be lazy and hand out too much! of course there are always exceptions.
ReplyDeletejust read the comment above and feel much better about it, phew! as long as im not paying for someone else to chat then im ok with it!
ReplyDeleteI get very frustrated with my brother-in-law, who is always whining about his lack of a steady job, having no money, etc. BUT he, his wife, and his oldest daughter all have the latest and greatest cell phones. They really should have cheap ones and a very simple plan, but then they wouldn't be able to play stupid games on FB all day long! My husband has 5 10 year old cell phone with a cracked front, but it still works! I have one that is a bit newer, but it only works as a phone and I only use it when necessary. We bought our first one many years ago when I was driving to work at 4am and I worried about what I would do if my car broke down. I think they are a nice thing to have, but a luxury item, not a necessity.
ReplyDeleteAs long as tax money isn't paying for it! good grief.
ReplyDeleteMy husband works with TVs and enters many homes in very poor areas where he can't believe anyone could live there. They almost always have a crazy fancy TV, several video game systems, and top of the line cable or satellite. Just shows that we all make different choice and have different priorities with our money.
similarly, when I taught elementary school, we went through lots of training for working with families in all different SES (socioeconomic status). People in lower SES tend to value entertainment more than other categories. Because life is generally rough, having some entertainment is a way to 'escape.' People in higher SES put more value on cultural and educational experiences- kids are in soccer, go to gymnastic, have a zoo membership, take piano and Spanish lessons, go to camp in the summer, etc.
It always made me shake my head to see my step sisters spend money, they didn't have, they way they did. Learning about the ways different SES view different things helped me understand them better.
I think a cell phone is necessary, but NOT a smart phone. Having a cell phone in this day and age is, in my opinion a necessity. I never paid for a land line when I moved into my first apartment, and opted to pay for a cell phone which maked more sense since you are reachable an able to connect all the time. We do have a land line at home now, but it's a waste of 20 bucks a month since we never use it. I do think that I rely on my cell phone too much, and in the case of a huge disaster cell phones might not work. Bottom line, cell phones are necessary in this day and age, but not smart phones.
ReplyDeleteGoodness! I just read my comment and I am a rambler today! Haha! I wanted to add that it makes me super annoyed when I see people who are paying fir groceries at the store with food stamps, yes they whip put the newest and latest iPhone or whatever. Where exactly do they get the money for one of those if they are using food stamps for food?!?!
ReplyDeleteLuxury!! I know our society thinks that it is a necessity, but it's definitely a luxury! There was a time when we lived without them and we were fine. Heck- I don't even have cable TV! People think I am crazy but it's not a necessity.
ReplyDeleteInteresting question.
ReplyDeleteI can see where nowadays having a cell phone is "normal" and only getting calls on a land line is "inconvenient."
However, I used to use any phone I could to punch in my code and get the messages left for me on my landline voicemail.
I'm fine with a NGO giving away phones and free minutes to try to bridge the digital divide. I haven't had a land line in 10 years.
However, I would only want tax payer funds to go for phones for those at risk, elderly, special needs, etc.
That's my .02
Dana
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I would have to know more about this to really give a good opinion. My concern is that this seems like the perfect way for a cell phone company to get people hooked. They give away the phone and minutes for free...but I'm guessing that if the person uses up those minutes, they can purchase their own. Prepaid minutes are quite expensive.
ReplyDeleteWe use a prepaid phone ourselves, even though the minutes are expensive because we use it extrememly little and it ends up only costing about $10 a month...but if people are being irresponsible and constantly adding more minutes at a high rate, it might not be doing poor people a real favor.
I am not a fan of govmt handouts being as liberal as they are. That being said I work for a telecom company. When I first heard of "free" cell phones, my jaw dropped. It was explained to me that a lot of people don't have landlines b/c they are in halfway houses, homeless, etc, in which case a cell phone may be useful one of their only forms of limited communication. It also helps them if they may be trying to apply for a job. I'm still not sure how I feel about the program, but those are some facts to think about.
ReplyDeleteI think that in the grand scheme of the world, cell phones are definitely a luxury. People who live in areas where clean water is a luxury would probably agree with me on that one.
ReplyDeleteI'd say a luxury. But for everyone, like me, who said luxory...try leaving your cell phone at home the next time you go out and I'll bet you'd be a little lost. LOL. I've tried it and when you're so used to it, it is a weird feeling. But I still don't agree with the government wasting money and giving cell phones out to people who might not necessarily need one.
ReplyDeleteA luxury...a necessary one. :)
ReplyDelete