Cell phone dependency, uses and etiquette across generations

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

2013-02-21

Department

Towson University. Department of Mass Communication and Communication Studies

Program

Citation of Original Publication

Rights

Copyright protected, all rights reserved.
There are no restrictions on access to this document. An internet release form signed by the author to display this document online is on file with Towson University Special Collections and Archives.

Subjects

Abstract

The mobile phone, cell phone, or smart phones are a few names this device is known by. Though it is much more than a phone now. It can start a car, provide weather alerts, and even capture the moment with a camera. While cell phones provide a constant connection, they sometimes keep their users so connected that they become disconnected from the moment they are in. The following study sought to measure just how connected two groups of cell phone users are to these devices. Millennials and Baby Boomers answered questions that measured their dependency on this device as well as how often and how important they use specific cell phone functions. This study also set out to gauge how these generations viewed cell phone etiquette. While Millennials provided responses indicating higher and dependency and usage of the cell phone, they also demonstrated less stringent concepts of cell phone etiquette.