Why Cell Phones Are Necessary

                              
     A few months ago, I was at the movie theater with my friend Annie. The movie ended and we walked out into the lobby, wondering when one of our parents would pick us up. Did they know the movie ended at eight? We couldn't remember.
     Most of you probably see the solution to this: Call our parents. But neither of us have cell phones, so we wandered around, looking for somebody we knew. Usually it's filled with people we know, but not that day. After spending a good ten minutes looking at people, I noticed a pay phone. Neither of us had used a pay phone before, but there were little directions printed on the side.
1: Pick up reciever and listen for tone.
2: Insert quarter
3: Dial number
     I picked up the receiver and listened for tone. It was silent. Either we had somehow misunderstood step one, or the phone had been disconnected because nobody uses those things except for us.
     Luckily, Annie saw a girl she had known five years ago. She had a phone, and we were able to call for a ride.
     People say cell phones are unnecessary, especially for teens. I don't want one because all of my fri-ends have one-I want one because most of my close friends don't, and somebody has to call for a ride.
    

Sarcastic Remarks

     What do you think you're doing, young lady? You can't sleep now. You've text messages to send, songs to listen to, essays to write, random phrases to google, blog posts to write, pictures to upload on facebook, and celebrities to follow. Up! Up! Up!
 
     Look at how efficient Little Joey is. Why can't you be more like him? Sheesh, teenagers these days.
 Why, back in my day...


I'll invite one of your little friends over. They'll make sure you do something online and you will be all smiles and sunshine.

 Speaking of sunshine, why don't you go outside and get some vitamin D?

     You heard me, go off and have fun!
     Now I have some time to figure out youtube without your dissbelieving gasps. Hmm...what does this button do? Wait...wait...got it! Yippee!

Teens Can Invent, Too

     Popsicles. Cancer screening. The toy truck. Sign language translator. The toddler-proof safety gate. Non-reusable syringes. Earmuffs. Some of these are little inventions that we use each day for entertainment or necessity, while others save lives. But what do they all have in common? In case you're too lazy to raise your eyes to the header, I'll tell you: They were all invented by kids.
     I'm using the term "kids" loosely here. Elizabeth Nathan and Gabrielle Pollack (syringe) were nineteen, technically adults. Ryan Patterson (translator), Chester Greenwood (earmuffs), Ben and Janet Song (cancer screening) were all teenagers when they came up with their inventions. The rest were invented by thirteen-and-unders.
     Like many of their adult counterparts, these young inventors got their ideas from simple everyday experiences. Frank Epperson left a drink with a stirring stick out overnight. Ryan Patterson was sitting in his local Burger King, watching a man translate sign language into English. A thought became an idea, an idea became an invention, an invention changed the way we all live our lives, one way or another. Just because they're young doesn't mean they can't make an impact. And that doesn't mean you can't either.