On Cell Phone Obsession

Nowadays practically everyone owns a cell phone, myself included. In many situations, cell phones come in very handy and make things more convenient. Some people use their phones to store numbers, e-mail addresses, and other information. Meeting up with people is also much easier, since there is a way to keep in constant contact.
Despite the obvious conveniences, I believe that a great many people are relying on their cell phones too much. To own a cell phone and use it as necessary is one thing. To have to constantly be on the phone, or sending messages, or playing games on the phone, et cetera is another thing. There are some instances in which it is rude to answer the phone (e.g. movie theatre, dinner table). As a matter of fact, I committed the major faux pas of answering my cell phone at the table in the first week of owning one. Since then I have learned proper etiquette, and it is an offense that I will not commit twice.
But there are plenty of people that will answer the phone in any situation, and it is getting out of hand. One of the things that I find both hilarious and disturbing is a situation that arises on the subway. Underground there is no reception, and therefore no one talking on cell phones (except for the crazy guy in the helmet using the fake pink phone with bubble gum inside). But the minute the train is outside, more than half of the people on the subway race to grab their phones and call someone. I see it as funny, but also pathetic.
There are court officers inside courtrooms that stand around playing crude video games on cell phones. There are people that answer cell phones on a date at the dinner table. People are using blackberries during holiday meals. And people that cannot drive too well to begin with are using cell phones while driving, making their driving abilities even worse (if that is possible).
My point is cell phones are not being used only when needed. They are being used just for the sake of using them. A scene that would make a nice photograph is not done any justice by being preserved in a blurry, low-quality camera phone. Text messaging has become a major form of communication, and the abbreviations used have probably made this illiterate society even more illiterate.
So if you own a cell phone (which you probably do), do yourself a favor and use it sparingly. Humans have survived for 35,000 years without them. Chances are that you will also live if you go for 10 minutes without using one.