Mobile phone

A cellphone or cellular phone, also known as a mobile phone, is a portable electronic device which behaves as a normal

Cellphone culture

In less than twenty years, cellphones have gone from being rare and expensive pieces of equipment used by businesses to a pervasive low-cost personal item. In many affluent countries, cellphones now outnumber land-line telephones, with most adults and many children now owning cellphones. It is not uncommon for young adults to own simply a cell phone instead of a land-line for their residence. Cellphone penetration is increasing around the world; this is particularly true of developing countries, where there is little existing fixed-line infrastructure.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

With high levels of mobile telephone penetration, a cellphone culture has evolved, where the cellphone becomes a key social tool, and people rely on their cellphone addressbook to keep in touch with their friends. Many people keep in touch using SMS, and a whole culture of "texting" has developed from this. Many phones even offer Instant Messenger services such as AOL Instant Messenger, to increase the simplicity and ease of texting on phones.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The cellphone itself has become a totemic and fashion object, with users decorating, customizing, and accessorizing their cellphones to reflect their personality. Likewise, customized ringtones have been developed.

Related Topics:
Totem - Fashion - Ringtones

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cellphone etiquette has become an important issue with mobiles ringing at funerals, weddings, movies and plays. Users often speak at increased volume, with little regard for others nearby people. It has become common practice for places like libraries and movie theatres to ban the use of cell phones, sometimes even installing jamming equipment to prevent them.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Camera phones that can capture video and take photographs are increasingly being used to cover breaking news. Stories like the London Bombings, the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina have been reported on by cameraphone users on news sites like NowPublic and photosharing sites like Flickr.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~