In the article, "When your brain is outside the car," Dave Downey states a very good argument about cellphone usage in cars. Downey explains that when a driver is talking on a hands-free headset, the drive is just as likely to get in a accident whether he or she is holding the cellphone for or not. I strongly agree with Downey in this article, a drivers full attention is on the conversation and not on the road.
In the second article I read, "Reining in cell phone use," Derek Moore discusses the uselessness of hands-free headsets. Moore argues, like Downey, that wireless handsets are just as dangerous. Moore goes into more detail about the dangers in regularly using a Bluetooth headset, the argument was, wireless headsets may encourage cancer or other negative side-affects. Bluetooth headsets causing cancer is something that has always crossed my mind and it scares me that scientist are fearing the same thing.
The third article I read, "Look who's talking" written by Howard Rheingold was an article different from the others I have read so far. Rheingold discusses the lifestyle of the Amish and how their live completely with out technology, with one exception, cellphones. I found it a little unusual that the Amish are against electricity, but yet they use cellphones. Another thing I found strange was in the Amish schools, it is a concern if a student raises their hand in class. By a student simply raising their hand, they are showing signs of individuality which is a sin. Even-though a few households are sharing one cellphone, when one wants to use the cellphone that person must go out the the fields to use it, in a way isn't that showing individuality?
The fourth essay I read "The affliction" by Jose Astargo. Jose Astargo explains that people who have cellphones life for that contraption. Most often then not a conversation is interrupted by a cellphone call or text-message. Astargo explains that he too owns a cellphone but makes a point to keep it on vibrate so conversations with other people are not interupted. Astargo one day felt his cellphone vibrating at his waist, but when he ritched for it is was not there. Astargo soon realized that it was his stomach growling that gave the same sensation as his cellphone vibrating. This article shows that even those who know how ridiculous cellphones are can get caught up in the mayhem.
