Cell Phones to the Rescue

A March 2006 survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, the Associated Press and AOL found that 52% of cell phone users say they keep their phone on all the time — further evidence that the cell phone has become an essential communication tool for a large segment of the American public. Cell-phone use has also shifted the way people spend their free time. Some 41% of cell phone owners say they fill in time when they are traveling or waiting for someone by making phone calls, and 44% say they wait to make most of their cell-phone calls for the hours when they do not count against their “anytime” minutes in their basic calling plan. At the same time, cell phone owners acknowledge new challenges: 82% of all Americans — and 86% of cell phone users — report being irritated at least occasionally by loud and annoying cell users who conduct their calls in public places; 24% report they feel they have to answer their cell phone even when it interrupts a meeting or a meal; and 22% believe that “too many” people try to get in touch with them because others know they have a cell phone. Read More