Sorcha and Deckman - not sure your criticisisms are quite fair.......some of us have jobs where cell phones are essential. The positive side of these jobs, or my job at least, is it is a long time since I have had to be at work before 10 am which suits me fine (even if I am frequently there til 10 pm - it suits my body clock better). Regardless there is no excuse for cell phone rudeness - I have been known on rare occasions to turn my phone off!.

I have three grown children, one of whom (the 18 year old) still lives at home and two (21 and 25 who do not) --one of the joys of cell phones s that we use ours for everyday conversation -- I talk to my girls at least two times a day and I love that. And I don't think it's just a substitute for a good relationship as the whole gang come, with significant others, to dinner every Sunday.

It took me quite a while to work out that to my kids and their generation, cell phones are not a luxury - they are a necessity. They have been raised differently to us and their standards are different .. I really had to work at it to get to a point where I understood that. At least with cell phones I know where they are and if there is ever an emergency they can - as ET said - phone home.