Would your life be over if you couldn't text?

Nearly half of the teenagers surveyed in this study said yes. Wow. Now look, I'm a huge fan of gadgets and electronics, and that includes cell phones. I would love to have an iphone or Blackberry as much as any other electronics nerd, but would my life be over without it? I think this study should be a warning to parents about how materialistic our society is becoming. Cell phones are now the second most important indicator of a teens' social status or popularity, only behind clothing.

Most teens and tweens (8-12 year olds) are clamoring for cell phones and many have them. The desire to have a cell phone and accompanying text plan (unlimited plans are the only option for many because of how many texts are sent in a given month) is motivated by a desire to be popular. Since a cell phone had no bearing on the social status of previous generations, oftentimes parents don't understand the obsessive desire for the newest (and by extension the coolest) cell phone on the market. It's not just because they want to text- it proclaims to the world that they get it, that they have arrived, just as much as a pair of Air Jordan sneakers or Starter jacket did during the mid-90's.

Again, I like cell phones. I text- a lot. However, my value as a person in social situations is not tied to my cellular telephone, and it must be a priority of those in positions of authority (parents, pastors, sunday school teachers) to be aware of societal obsession and hammer away at the concept of finding ultimate self-worth in stuff.