Ten years ago it became common for Americans to own a cellular phone. At this time cell phone plans financially comparable to today typically consisted of 30 minutes to an hour a month while overage charges came at a hefty price. As cell phone popularity has risen, plans now allowed more minutes for a lower rate.
We then learned the brutal realities of roaming charges. Today, cell phone users nationwide are able to use their cellular phones whenever and wherever without the fear of large roaming charges. Cell phones are now connecting people in a way that was nearly financially impossible for the average American ten years ago.
“When I went to college, I had to get a phone with the area code of the city my college was in or every time I made a call I would get roaming charges,” Sara Peterson, 26, said. “I used to only use my cell phone when it was important, and now, I can call family across the country and don’t pay any more than if they were sitting next to me.”
Peterson’s situation was typical for anyone moving out of their area code to attend college in the early 2000’s.
Central Michigan University Freshman Paris Cotton says he calls home to Miami, Florida every day. It is an enormous help that he does not have to pay any roaming charges when connecting with his family.
“It’s helped because it’s not much of a bill problem; I have the same bill every time.” When asked about the importance of his cell phone in daily life Cotton said, “It’s my watch, my everything; it would be bad if I couldn’t have my cell phone anymore.”
In addition to affordable unlimited minutes and the near extinction of roaming charges, it is now typical to text message daily and even hourly. It is also possible to receive and send emails from your cell phone. The phenomenon that is the cell phone and the way we use and depend on it is changing the way we all connect.
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