Let's be honest

Last Thursday as I trudged to campus for my marathon of classes, I was suddenly struck by a major wave of anxiety. I realized I had left my most important school supply at home: my cell phone.\nI know what you're thinking: "Poor brat can't be without her precious cell phone for a day." But that's not true at all. Of course I can be without my cell phone, I just don't want to.\nDespite what people might scream from the rooftops, technology is not inherently a bad thing. In fact, as much as people would like to say it has driven our society apart, it's quite the opposite. Cell phones, as well as e-mail and AOL Instant Messenger, have made it easier for us to make and maintain relationships. They have made it possible for us to form connections that last. Sure people had relationships when the only form of communication was snail mail, but they surely didn't keep as up-to-date on one another's lives as we do now.\nI always hear people making the argument that humans lived for thousands of years without cell phones, so it shouldn't be so hard now. But humans lived for thousands of years without penicillin too, but that doesn't mean we should now. Well, actually, they died without penicillin, but you get the idea.\nLife can be worse without a cell phone -- I know from experience. Last year someone stole mine, and for about a week I felt like I had totally lost contact with the outside world. I had a land line, but no long distance service. I had to use a friend's phone to let my mom know about the situation, and then I was stuck sitting and waiting for her to call me back and let me know how I could replace my phone.\nFor that week, I was completely isolated. My life came to a screeching halt. The few friends who did know my apartment number could call me, but I couldn't return their calls. I struggled to make plans to do anything with anyone.\nSuddenly I realized how dependent I was on that little phone, but it didn't bother me. I was dependent upon it because it allowed me to keep in close contact with my loved ones -- friends and family alike -- and let me make arrangements to see those people face-to-face. Let's be honest: Life's a hell of a lot more hectic now than it used to be, and while some may blame technology for that, I thank it for easing the chaos. It allows me to be more efficient with my time. Instead of getting nothing accomplished in the 20 minutes it takes me to walk home from class, I can call my mom just to talk. \nYes, it's obnoxious when we abuse this technology. I'll be the first to complain about the phone ringing in the middle of class or the girl not paying attention to traffic because she's on the phone or the pedestrian not paying attention to where he's going because he's on the phone. And let's not even talk about people answering their phone during dinner. But all technology gets abused -- just look at the over-prescription of penicillin.\nDespite the abuses, though, technology makes life a hell of a lot more manageable. Complain all you want to about the cell phone-addicted college student, but this brat will bow to the Verizon gods any day of the week.