Internet Geek Girl

A recent New York Times article pointed out a phenomena which I’ll call the cellular divide. It seems that some people, especially the young (or Yutes as we say in New Jersey), tend to restrict their cell phone usage to those inside their network, thereby saving money and minutes. The article sheds light on how these nasty little customer acquisition tactics are unraveling our social fabric: it seems we are unintentionally breaking off relationships with friends on competitive networks and forming “faux friendships” with those with the same carrier! Aghast!

According to the New York Times:

That is most true for people younger than 25 because they are the ones who see the cellphone as an extension of themselves. They are constantly sending text messages, making calls, checking the time, scheduling appointments, calculating math, taking photos, playing games or looking up something on the Internet.

That.. and oh yeah, they can’t afford high monthly plan fees. Believe me, I realize I’m lucky. I have an amazing rate (competitively speaking) on a SprintPCS plan that gives me 2500 anytime minutes, free nights and weekends starting at 7 pm and unlimited text messaging (who could live without that!). I’m glad I’m not on a college kid budget anymore. But $$ aside, I find it fascinating that kids today look at those cell phone networks, much in the same way I look at my friends on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Flickr! The fact is, I believe in networking and all the tools that help us do it. Scoble has it right.

And, by the way, I do try to keep up with the kids. The reporter, Angel Jennings, also dug up some great stats:

Those who talk the most on the phone are ages 18 to 24, according to a study of cellphone use by Telephia Inc., a San Francisco research firm that follows cellphone trends. In the first quarter of 2007, this group sent and received on average 290 calls a month, the study found. Text messaging was highest, Telephia said, among 13- to 17-year-olds, who averaged 435 messages a month. By contrast, cellphone users 45 to 54 years old spoke on the phone 194 times, on average, a month and sent only 57 text messages.

It seems I out “text message” the average 13 - 17 year old by over 50%. My Jun 15 - Jul 14 statement says I had 673 text messages. Yeah.. I’m cool!! Um.. I also logged 675 calls (that’s 132% more than you’re average 18 -24 year old). Thank goodness I’m too tired to figure out how many emails, Facebooks, Twitts, IMs, etc I sent during that same time period. How do you stack up?  Check out your bill from same or similar time frame and let me know.  A small prize will be awarded to the commenter with the most text messages in equivalent time frame (verified of course).

Fake Steve Jobs thinks the cell phone companies suck and has great sympathy for the average Joe/Jane consumer. He envisions a world where we won’t have to wax sentimentally about our long-lost friends on other cellular networks, or have phones that are exclusive to 1 network (Perhaps Daddy Google will save us?). However, he’s a bit harsher than my Zen language patters will allow, but I liked the sentiment:

Honestly, this is why Google wants the FCC to free up the wireless spectrum and let customers put any phone on any network. Well, okay, that’s not really why Google wants that. But anyway. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Cell phone carriers suck. They’re orifices. They’re yet another example of an industry that thrives only by exploiting customers and treating them like shit. Lock-in, two-year contracts, screwing you on every little feature. Damn. Someday, I hope not too long from now, we are going to look back on this era of wireless telecom in horror, not believing we ever had to put up with such bullshit.

There is some good news here. Despite our hyper-communication habits and crumbling friendships, academics and experts assure us that text messages are actually, “symbolic gestures of friendship.” There is love underneath all this… LOVE.. that’s what I’m all about man!

I dedicate this blog post to my “text message friends.” You know who you are. Thanks for helping me to “stay gold.” I thank you (day and night via text message), and my cell phone carrier thanks you!