Cellphone Dependency

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/10/weekinreview/10bels.html?oref=login

"Cellphones foster a curious dependency," Ms. Rosen said. "The cellphone erodes something that is being obliterated in American society: self-reliance."

She offered an example. "I was taught how to change a tire so I can get a spare on and get to a garage," she said. "But who changes a tire now? You just call AAA."

Oddly, being able to keep constant track of friends and family can introduce a whole new kind of insecurity. For a parent, a call to a cellphone-carrying child may bring reassurance, but when the child doesn't answer the phone, the parent starts thinking the worst.

"The more available you are, the more worrisome it is when you can't reach people," Ms. Rosen said.