Sisters and cell phones

I was talking to my sister on Sunday. It was her birthday and she just turned 18. She got a cell phone for her birthday. (I'm very proud of my parents for waiting until she was graduating to get her a cell phone. Since I work with high school kids, I know what a problem they can be. Kids seem to think that cell phones rank right up there with food, water, and oxygen. They might die without them attached, on, and being used at all times.) Anyway, my sister is a great girl. Actually, she's smart (like Harvard smart), talented, plays volleyball, is in student government, has a 4.0, won a bunch of scholarships in the Junior Miss pageant, is a lot of fun, is the nicest girl in the world, and is gorgeous. If she wasn't my sister, I probably wouldn't be able to stand her!! (Except she's so nice I probably wouldn't be able to help myself - I'd have to like her. Anyway...) But even she hasn't escaped the high school mentality. She was telling me how she can't believe she finally got a cell phone. I mean, maybe a few years ago people didn't have them but now everyone has one and you really just need to have a cell phone...and she went on and on. I didn't break it to her that she doesn't "need" a cell phone. They're handy and I'm glad I have one but I had graduated from college before I got a cell phone - and I got it for free! I admit that I do feel better knowing she'll be taking a phone to college. The world used to be a much safer place. Girls could walk home at night without worrying and now we have to constantly look over our shoulders because there are so many evil, creepy men out there. I'm glad she'll have a way of getting a hold of someone if she were ever in trouble. So I guess from that standpoint she may "need" a cell phone. As for the high school kids, taking away their cell phones might be the kindest, most beneficial thing we could do for them. Oh, they'd hate us because they'd feel that we'd destroyed their lives. But they're not as important as they think they are and they might just learn how to politely, respectfully, and maturely interact with real human beings. They might learn how to focus and go out and serve others and actually make a difference in the world. And those that do can have their cell phones back.