Just about everybody who is anybody has one! It's this small, hi tech "connector" between the hand and the ear which makes it possible for a person to reach out, anytime, anyplace, and talk to somebody. The somebody can be as close as a friend next door or as far away as the caller’s "roaming" service will allow.

To more and more adolescents, cell phones have become the 4th necessity of life, just a breath or two behind the need for food, clothing and shelter.  A study by Teenage Interaction Research found that one out of every five American teenagers has a cell phone. Chances are, at this very moment, somewhere, a few of those four out of five teens who don't have a cell are saving up for one, or nagging their parents to get them one.

If you're trying to talk your parents into letting you have a cell, check out these two good arguments: SAFETY and SECURITY.

Explain that it’s better to be SAFE with a cell phone in your hand than SORRY you couldn't get help in an emergency. And there could be a lot of emergencies in your life! You could get a flat tire or run out of gas in the middle of nowhere. You could need to call home for a ride when you know it’s risky riding with a friend who has been drinking. There are probably a lot of other emergency situations you can think of to make your case.

As far as SECURITY is concerned, maybe you've heard the radio public service announcement that asks: IT'S ELEVEN O'CLOCK…DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILD IS? Help your parents understand that with a cell phone at your fingertips you wouldn't have to wait until you found a phone booth to get in touch. You'd be able, to check in with them, and they with you, to make sure everything was OK.

If you're lucky enough to have your own cell now or when you get one, try not to forget that with every right comes a responsibility. It's the responsibility to use that right in the proper way. It’s a no brainer to understand that talking on the cell (or keeping the ringer on) at school, in movies, while driving, or for too many minutes, makes the monthly bill hard to pay. That’s definitely not the right way to use a cell phone.