Essay 3 The Effects of Teen Pregnancy

Effects of Teenage Pregnancy

by

Kristen J. Roberts

EN 101 H1

Dr. Kerr

23 October 2010

Kristen Roberts

Professor Kerr

En 101-1H

23 October 2010

Effects of Teenage Pregnancy

                Each year in the United States 750,000 teenagers will become pregnant ("Teen Pregnancy Statistics - Pregnant Teen Help").  Those 750,000 pregnant teenagers make up 24% of the population of unmarried mothers ("Teen Pregnancy Statistics - Pregnant Teen Help").  Some circumstances increase the likelihood of a teenager becoming part of that 24% (Sams). A teenager who does poorly in school or is affected by poverty is more likely to become pregnant (Sams). Being raised by one parent can also contribute to teenage pregnancy (Sams). Having a family history of teenage pregnancy can also be a factor; for example, a sister or mother who was pregnant as an adolescent can be influential (Sams). Whatever the cause, teenage pregnancy produces negative effects on the child that will be born, the pregnant mother, and the United States economy.

                A child born to an adolescent mother is faced with the negative effects of teenage pregnancy. Products of a teen pregnancy are more likely to grow up in poverty (Sams). They also have more health complications (Algoma Family Services). These problems include a high chance of low birth weight and prematurity (Algoma Family Services). High rates of abuse and neglect of the babies of teen mothers has also been reported (Algoma Family Services).  Along with health and family problems, the children seem to have trouble at school (Sams). They are more likely to need special education or special needs for mild education problems (Sams). Some even fail and drop out because of lack of support at home (Sams). However, these children don’t just have difficulties with school; the same is likely to happen to them in relationships or marriages (Sams). Later in life, these children have an increased chance of delinquency or adult crimes (Sams).  Lastly, these children have an increased chance of following in their mothers footsteps and becoming an adolescent parent (Sams).  The children of adolescent mothers face a future full of obstacles to overcome because of the negative effects of teen pregnancy.

                Teenage mothers feel the negative effects of teenage pregnancy as well. Only 70% of teen moms receive a GED (Sams). Many of them drop out of school or put their education on hold (Algoma Family Services).  Without proper education a teen mother’s job options are limited (Sams).  They may not be able to get job that can keep them financially stable and they can become victims of poverty (Sams).  Besides having financial and educational problems teen moms may face low self-esteem because of their frustrations (Algoma Family Services). Some teen moms, like Bristol Palin, are lucky enough to have help. “Teenagers need to prevent pregnancy to begin with -- this isn't ideal. But I'm fortunate to have a supportive family, which is dealing with this together." ("Bristol Palin Quotes - The Hollywood Gossip" ) Teen moms cannot live their life like their supposed to at their age; they miss out on being a kid (Salamon). Teen moms have many problems to deal with because of the negative effects of teen pregnancy.

Teenage pregnancy also has effects on the United States economy. Since teen moms have limited job options their chance of economic dependence increases (Sams). College graduates earn 40% more wages than people with a GED (Caldas). Since teen moms normally do not attend college this also increases their economic dependence (Caldas). For example, in 1992, the Federal Government funded welfare programs for teenage families; they spent $34 billion (Christensen). 55% of women aged 15-44 who received this welfare were teenage moms (Christensen). President Bill Clinton took a stand and realized the negative effects of teen pregnancy on the economy. "[The] welfare reform [of] 1996, [takes] executive action to require young mothers to stay in school or lose welfare payments… and launching a National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy…don't get pregnant or father a child until you are ready to take on the responsibility of parenthood." (Algoma Family Services) Teenage pregnancy costs the government a lot of money and also contributes to an increased poverty rate in the United States (Sams). Teen pregnancy also affects school finances (Sams). Since children of adolescent parents are more likely to have education problems, a need arises for special education funding and programs in public schools (Sams). Teenage pregnancy soaks up a lot of the government’s funds and has negative effects on the economy.

                Teen pregnancies have decreased since the 1990’s ("Teen Pregnancy Statistics - Pregnant Teen Help").  Since then, pregnancies among whites have dropped 34%, Hispanics by 19%, and African Americans by 40% ("Teen Pregnancy Statistics - Pregnant Teen Help"). President Barack Obama believes decreasing teen pregnancy rates is important. "I believe we must work together to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies. I support legislation to expand access to contraception, health information, and preventative services to help reduce unintended pregnancies."  ("Barack Obama on Abortion and Birth Control”) Sex education, prevention programs, and effective contraceptive methods have since aided this decrease ("Teen Pregnancy Statistics - Pregnant Teen Help").  However, teen pregnancies are still a problem that has negative effects on the children that are born, the adolescent mothers, and the economy.

Works Cited

Algoma Family Services. "Consequences of Teen Pregnancy." Teen, Teenage Pregnancy - Pregnant, Abortion Alternative, Crisis, Adoption, Adopt, Baby -. Algoma Family Services. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://www.teenpregnancy.com/teenage/teen-pregnancy.html>.

"Barack Obama on Abortion and Birth Control." Glassbooth - Quiz to Help You Choose the Candidate That Represents Your Beliefs the Best. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://glassbooth.org/explore/index/barack-obama/11/abortion-and-birth-control/16/>.

"Bristol Palin Quotes - The Hollywood Gossip." The Hollywood Gossip - Celebrity Gossip, News, Pictures, and Rumors. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/quotes/stars/bristol-palin/>.

Caldas, Stephen J. "Teen Pregnancy: Why It Remains A Serious Social, Economic, And Education Problem In The U.S - Research and Read Books, Journals, Articles at Questia Online Library." Questia - The Online Library of Books and Journals. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=EF2F410F6228A37184EA24BB494804C8.inst2_3a?docId=5000177804>.

Christensen, Sue. "Teenage Pregnancy." The Family Connection of St. Joseph County Inc. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://community.michiana.org/famconn/teenpreg.html>.

Peter, Sams. "Teen Pregnancy and It's Effects." Article Alley. 22 Feb. 2008. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://www.articlealley.com/article_479589_17.html>.

"Quotes from The Daily Beast." Daylife: Helping Publishers Do More with Less. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://www.daylife.com/quote/0eOe5HabNb9hp?q=Bristol Palin>.

Salamon, Maureen. "De-glamorize Teen Pregnancy, Experts Say - Health - Kids and Parenting - Msnbc.com." Breaking News, Weather, Business, Health, Entertainment, Sports, Politics, Travel, Science, Technology, Local, US & World News- Msnbc.com. MSNBC, 20 Oct. 2010. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39759635/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/>.

"Sarah Palin Quotes." Famous Quotes and Quotations at BrainyQuote. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/sarah_palin.html>.

"Teen Pregnancy Statistics - Pregnant Teen Help." Pregnant Teen Help - Teen Pregnancy Statistics, Prevention and Facts. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://www.pregnantteenhelp.org/articles1.html>.

Essay 3 Outline (Effects of Teen Pregnancy)

P1:Intro: Talk about statistics of teen pregnancy and how they have been increasing and decreasing.
Thesis: The effects of teenage pregnancy are negative on the child that will be born, the mother of the child, and the economy.

P2: Discuss effects of teen pregnancy on the child that will be born. Problems in:

• Poverty
• Health
• Abuse/Neglect
• School
• Susceptibility to teen pregnancy or parenthood themselves
• Delinquency
• Relationships

(Intgerate quote from Sarah Palin)

P3: Discuss effects of teen pregnancy on the teen mother

• Unemployment
• Educational Failure
• Poverty
• Low Self-Esteem
• Bleak future
• Miss out on adolescent experiences

(Integrate quote from Bristol Palin?)

P4: Discuss effects of teen pregnancy on the economy

• Teen mothers on welfare medical reasons ect.
• Contributes to poverty
• Under-educated citizens because teen moms often have to put their education on hold
• Single martial status is usually a tougher financial situation
• Special education needs for the child cost money in schools

(Integrate quote from Obama)

P5: Conclusion
Discuss teen pregnancy in the media such as the MTV show 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom and what is being done to prevent teen pregnancy in the United States.
(Integrate quote from Bristol Palin/Sarah Palin?)

Drunk (Essay 3)

What are the negative effects on the body of drinking heavily?

Excessive alcohol use increases the risk of a number of diseases: fatty degeneration of the liver, infection of the liver, liver cirrhosis, sleeping disorders, sexual problems, infection of the esophagus, infection of the stomach, infection of the pancreas, premature dementia, varying from a reduction of memory to the serious syndrome of Korsakoff; cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, intestines and breasts; hypertension and heart problems. Alcohol is also damaging during pregnancy.

Positive and Negative Effects of Alcohol Use

In general, what can excessive drinking cause?
Alcohol plays an important role in aggression. 40% of all incidents involving aggression occur while under the influence of alcohol. The police spend 22% of their time on cases involving alcohol. Violence on the streets and domestic violence while under the influence of alcohol happen often.
Also at work, alcohol has big consequences. 13% of all employees on sick leave have alcohol problems. Employees with alcohol problems produce at least 10% less work than their colleagues.
Alcohol can make people irresponsible; for example, getting pregnant in circumstances where they are not able to care for a child. Drunk driving deaths can also be caused by excessive drinking.
Positive and Negative Effects of Alcohol Use 

What is the national BAC level to be declared "drunk"?

In most states, a BAC of .10% is considered legally drunk. This means that for every 1,000 milliliters of blood, the body contains 1 milliliter of alcohol. In some states, the legal definition of intoxication is .08%, which means that for every 1000 milliliters of blood, the body contains 8/10ths of a milliliter of alcohol.

In the Know Zone

What BAC level causes death?

BAC = .30-.50 = Symptoms are complete unconsciousness, depressed or absent reflexes, subnormal body temperature, incontinence, and impairment of circulation and respiration.

Death may occur at .37% or higher. BACs of .45% and higher are fatal to nearly all individuals.

In the Know Zone 

Does early teen and college drinking create future alcoholics or cause alcoholism?

A person who begins drinking as a young teen is four times
more likely to develop alcohol dependence than someone who waits until adulthood to use alcohol.

College Drinking-Changing the Culture

What are the effects of drunk driving?

	Total fatalities	Alcohol-related fatalities
Year	Number	Number	Percent
1982	43,945	26,173	60
1983	42,589	24,635	58
1984	44,257	24,762	56
1985	43,825	23,167	53
1986	46,087	25,017	54
1987	46,390	24,094	52
1988	47,087	23,833	51
1989	45,582	22,424	49
1990	44,599	22,587	51
1991	41,508	20,159	49
1992	39,250	18,290	47
1993	40,150	17,908	45
1994	40,716	17,308	43
1995	41,817	17,732	42
1996	42,065	17,749	42
1997	42,013	16,711	40
1998	41,501	16,673	40
1999	41,717	16,572	40
2000	41,945	17,380	41
2001	42,196	17,400	41
2002	43,005	17,524	41
2003	42,643	17,013	40
2004	42,518	16,919	39
2005	43,443	16,885	39
2006	42,532	15,829	37
2007	41,059	15,387	37
2008	37,261	13,846	37

Alcohol Alert
What are the causes of drunk driving?
Poor judgement, blurred vision, and bad decisions.
Alcohol Alert

Sleep/Dream (Essay 3)

Does everyone dream? Why or why not?

People who believe they do not dream or enter REM sleep are simply not remembering their dreams. Everyone enters the REM sleep cycle, therefore everyone dreams. Not only does everyone dream, but everyone also has several episodes of dreams every night of sleep. Generally, the ability to recall a dream is tied to whether or not you wake up after having the dream or not. In other words, if you wake during or immediately after a dream occurs, chances are you will remember it and if you sleep through it, you probably will not. Some people can remember their dreams vividly for extended periods of time, and others forget them rather quickly.

WiseGeek

What causes dreams?

According to the Freudian   school,  dreams   are   the result   of subconscious thoughts and desires. The other extreme attributes dreams to random "noise" in the neurons without special meaning.

My own understanding - that dreams are made of many small parts. From memory and imagination, this is united to generate images of dream.

"What Causes Dreams"

How much sleep does an average person need?

What are the effects of a lack of sleep?

• Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents
• Increase in body mass index – a greater likelihood of obesity due to an increased appetite caused by sleep deprivation
• Increased risk of diabetes and heart problems
• Increased risk for psychiatric conditions including depression and substance abuse
• Decreased ability to pay attention, react to signals or remember new information

National Sleep Foundation

How long should it take to fall asleep?

On average, it takes seven minutes to fall asleep. Contrary to popular belief, sleep is not a time where the body shuts down to rest. Some types of brain activity increase, and some types of hormone production increase as well. There also is no evidence that any major organs shut down, though the metabolic rate might slow down a bit.

WiseGeek2

Random Sleep Facts:

• There are more than 70 known sleep disorders.
• In the United States, about 250,000 people suffer from narcolepsy, a disorder that causes extreme daytime fatigue and may cause a person to suddenly fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as as work or driving a car. More than 3 million people worldwide suffer from the disorder.
• Babies fall asleep directly into REM sleep.
• On average, people have about 1,460 dreams per year.
• The human sleep cycle averages about 90 to 110 minutes.
• The brown bat sleeps the most hours per day on average: 19.9 hours.
• The giraffe sleeps the least number of hours per day, clocking just 1.9 hours on average.

WiseGeek2

How much sleep is needed on average?



National Sleep Foundation

Are there any sleeping disorders?

But first,
CLICK HERE TO SEE A NARCOLEPTIC DACHSHUND!
Credit to YouTube

Some sleeping disorders are:

Insomnia and Sleep Apnea

Insomnia is an extremely common sleep disorder

Person has trouble falling and/or staying asleep.

Sleep apnea occurs when a person stops breathing during sleep.

Restless Leg Syndrome and Narcolepsy

Restless leg syndrome occurs when a person has an irritating feeling in their legs such as cramping, tingling or pulling

They have to move their legs to stop it.

Narcolepsy is a disorder where a person has no control when or where they fall asleep.

Rapid Eye Movement Behavior Disorder and Hypersomnia

In Rapid Eye Movement Disorder (RBD), a person acts out nightmares that occur during the REM sleep cycle.

Hypersomnia occurs when a person is always tired during the dya even if they sleep the right amount of time night.

Sleepwalking and Nocturia

When sleepwalking, people act what they would do if they were awaking like walking or eating.

Nocturia is the recurring need to use the bathroom throughout the night.

Bruxism and Hypopnea

Bruxism is a condition where a person clenches their jaw during sleep.

 Hypopnea occurs when a person doesn't breathe fully enough during sleep and therefore does not get enough oxygen.

Other Less Common Sleep Disorders

Snoring, jet lag, delayed sleep phase syndrome, cataplexy, night terrors, parasomnia and sleep paralysis

eHow

Pregnant (Essay 3)

Specifically, teenage pregnancy.

What are the negative effects of teen pregnancy?

Teenage pregnancy affects the children that will be born. Effects of a teenage pregnancy on the born child include:

• Growing up in poverty Article Alley
• Having more health problems/poor health Teen Pregnancy
• Suffering from high rates of abuse and neglect Teen Pregnancy
• Failure in school/special education needs/mild education problems Article Alley
• Becoming teen parents themselves Article Alley
• Commiting delinquent acts and adult crimes Article Alley
• Failure when it comes to marriages and other relationships Article Alley
• A high chance of low birth weight and prematurity Teen Pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy also negatively affect the teen mom's themselves.The teen mothers are affected by:

•  Unemployment Article Alley
• Educational failure-They have much lower levels of educational attainment than other women. Only 70% of teen moms earn a GED. This limits their job options. Article Alley
• Poverty Article Alley
• Low-self esteem Article Alley
• The majority of teenage mothers also face a bleak future. Often forced to drop out of school, these young women face a life of diminished expectations. Teen Pregnancy
• Miss out on adolescent experiences. MSNBC

Teenage pregnancy negatively affects the economy and public health as well. The economy is affeceted by the following:

• Job options are limited for teen moms because of a low level of education. This increases the likelihood of economic dependence for their family. Article Alley Teen mothers are also much less likely to attend college. Questia  College graduates on average earn 40% more in wages over the course of their lifetimes than those with only a high school education Questia  
• Contributes to higher poverty rates. Article Alley
• Under-educated citizens beacuse teen mom's have to put their education on hold. After they stop, only 70% go on to recieve a GED. Article Alley
• Single-Martial status which affects a financial situation within a family. Article Alley
• Special education needs or mild education needs that require extra attention. Article Alley
• In 1992 the Federal government spent more than $34 billion on welfare for families begun by teenagers, up from $16.6 billion in 1985.6 In 1995, Indiana spent $7.4 million in Aid to Dependent Children for approximately 2,700 teen parents. Information About Children and Families
• For every federal dollar spent on giving contraceptives to low-income women the government saves more than $4 in welfare payments, medical costs, etc. Information About Children and Families
• Of all the women aged 15-44 who received welfare or AFDC in 1993, over half (55%) became mothers when they were teenagers. Only 5% were currently teenage mothers; of these, 83% were aged 18-19. Information About Children and Families

How many teen moms are there are in the United States on average per year?

The teen birth rate is declining. However, there are still about 1 million teen pregnancies in the United States. 85% of the pregnancies are unplanned. This causes a problem. The biggest risk for a teen mom is delaying prenatal care and 7.2% recieved no care at all.

Article Alley

Who is most susceptible to become a teen mom?

Some life conditions increase the likelihood of a teenage pregnancy such as:

• Poverty
• Poor school performance
• Growing up in a single parent household
• Having a mother who was an adolescent mother
• Having a sister who has become pregnant

Article Alley

Is it more common for teens in the United States to keep the baby, put it up for adoption, or get an abortion? (conclusion info?)

One of the reasons a woman may opt for abortion is to be free from the burden of raising a child. Time, circumstances, finances, and emotional health may leave them unprepared to consider a pregnancy.

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Others may feel pregnancy is an inconvenience. Younger women may consider that they haven't completed their education and realize they still have their whole lives ahead of them. Some feel it will take too much to give a child up for adoption; plus, they are not willing to carry the child for 9 months and go through delivery.
Women who give in to the idea of abortion are often pressured into it by their partners. In many cases, these women find it difficult to choose the life of their child over their partner.
Whatever the reason, abortion should never be entered into without careful thought. The procedures can be dangerous, even life-threatening, and emotionally devastating.

The facts are that a youngster whose time is taken up with school, sports, family and community is far less likely to drop out, take drugs -- or find themselves inadvertently pregnant.

Teen Pregnancy

Statistics (Intro info?)

Trends in nonmarital childbearing. It may surprise some to learn that the teen birth rate was 50% higher in 1957 than it is now. Today's widespread concern over teenage pregnancy may have less to do with actual numbers and more to do with the growing percentage of teen mothers who are unmarried. Teens who have babies outside of marriage fit within a broader nationwide trend--unmarried women of all ages are having babies in increasing numbers. Births to single teens actually account for a smaller percentage of all nonmarital births than twenty years ago.

Economic forces. In the 1950s when men with little education could find well-paid jobs, young people married if a pregnancy occurred. The loss of those jobs makes marriage less attractive today--an effect that can be seen on teens of all races. In 1955, for example, only 6% of white teenage childbearing occurred outside of marriage; today it is 42%. Economics may also be responsible for the lower percentage of poor adolescents who terminate their pregnancies, since Medicaid policies in most states do not pay for abortions, but do pay for services related to childbirth.

Information About Children and Families

The United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and births in the western industrialized world. Teen pregnancy costs the United States at least $7 billion annually. Keep reading for more interesting facts on teen pregnancy statistics.

The fact that just under 1/3 of all girls in the United States will get pregnant in their teenage years is a sobering thought. Obviously, teen pregnancy is a problem in the United States. And the following statistics back that up:

• Every year around 750,000 teenagers will get pregnant. 
• Depending on the state, teenage birth rates are incredibly different. Nevada has the highest rate: 113 per 1000 and North Dakota the lowest 42 per 1000. 
• Unmarried teenagers having children account for 24 percent of all unmarried expectant mothers. 
• More than 2/3 of all teenagers who have a baby will not graduate from high school. 
• Billions of dollars are spent taking care of teenage mothers and their children and they are more likely to be in the poverty bracket. On the flip side, millions of dollars are spent in prevention programs.

The good news is that teen births have dropped by almost a third since the beginning of the 1990s. With pregnancy prevention programs and more understanding and teaching about safe sex, this number will hopefully drop even more. Here are a few other statistics that hopefully point to even better prevention rates in the years to come:

• In 2002 the abortion rate among teenager mother was 50 percent lower than its high point in 1988. 
• Among black teenagers, the pregnancy rate dropped around 40 percent since 1990. 
• Among Hispanic teenagers the pregnancy rate dropped around 19 percent since 1990. 
• Among white teenagers, the pregnancy rate dropped around 34 percent since 1990.

So while teenager pregnancies are dropping, it is still a constant problem as there are more and more kids who enter their teenager years each year. Teenager pregnancy programs are important to as the above statistics are showing that these programs yield good results. These programs should be continually studied to make sure they are up-to-date and working in the education of teenagers on the problems of teenager pregnancy.
One way of making sure to keep the programs fresh is to talk with the teenagers themselves, asking what they think about sex and how it is portrayed in their school life, by their friends, in their families, and in the media. How much do each of these contribute to how a teenager views sex? Parents and educators are in a position to somewhat monitor how sex and especially unsafe sex is being digested by the teenagers today. As more questions are answered and prevention programs initiated and/or updated, hopefully these statistics can continually to fall.
As mentioned above, billions of dollars are spent taking care of teenage mothers and their children while only millions are needed to provide good prevention program

Pregnant Teen Help

Quotes from Experts:

"We need to look at teen pregnancy as one consequence of a deeper health issue — teen sexual activity," Huber said. "One in four girls has at least one (sexually transmitted disease) and the rate in African-American girls is one in two."  -Valerie Huber National Abstinence Education Association

MSNBC

"I believe we must work together to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies. I support legislation to expand access to contraception, health information, and preventative services to help reduce unintended pregnancies." -President Barack Obama

Glassbooth



Bristol Palin and boyfriend Levi Johnston



"I'm pro-life. I'll do all I can to see every baby is created with a future and potential. The legislature should do all it can to protect human life." -Sarah Palin

Brainy Quotes

"Bristol Palin: Teenagers need to prevent pregnancy to begin with -- this isn't ideal. But I'm fortunate to have a supportive family, which is dealing with this together."
TheHollywoodGossip


"Abstinence is not about morality, it is about reality.It is the only thing that works every time.My message is a simple one: Don’t make the same decision I made, just wait.Young ladies, please hear me." -Bristol Palin
The Daily Beast

"By enacting welfare reform in 1996, taking executive action to require young mothers to stay in school or lose welfare payments, cracking down on child support enforcement, and launching a National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, the Clinton-Gore Administration has sent a clear message to young women and young men alike: don't get pregnant or father a child until you are ready to take on the responsibility of parenthood. "
-Bill Clinton
Teen Pregnancy

Essay 2 (Cell Phones)- Revision

Kristen Roberts

Professor Kerr

EN 101-1

4 October 2010

Cell Phones Then and Now

                In 1983, the first cell phone hit the market; it cost $3,395 (“First Cell Phone”). The first cell phone, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, was invented in 1973 by Dr. Martin Cooper (“Martin Cooper”). In 1973, Cooper, using the DynaTAC, made the first cellular call to Joel Engel of Bell Laboratories research (“Martin Cooper”).  Ironically, AT&T and Bell Laboratories initially proposed the idea of cell phones in 1947, but Cooper and Motorola were successful in creating them first (“First Cell Phone”).  The new technology was not available for purchase to the general public until it was finalized in 1983. (“Martin Cooper”). When the DynaTAC was finally released it had three basic functions; dial, listen, and talk (German). Since then, people have access to advanced phones like the Apple iPhone 4 (Apple). Cell phones have changed and progressed over the past 37 years in the areas of buying and owning, appearance and features, and usage and popularity.

Cell phone prices, providers, and availability are different from 1983. The first cell phone sold for $3,395 (“First Cell Phone”). Years later, cell phone prices reduced to between $50 and $500 (“Review Gist”). Service providers have also grown since 1983. Motorola was the top provider in 1983, but AT&T was close behind (“Martin Cooper”). Currently, the most popular providers are Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile (“Providers Review”). When Motorola and AT&T first began selling phones there was a waiting list to get one; now they are available on-site at multiple stores (“History”).  Since cell phones have reduced in price and increased in availability they are more common.

                Following 1983, cell phone appearance and capability has progressed. The first cell phone, nicknamed the brick, weighed around 2 pounds (“First Cell Phone”).  It stood 9 X 5 X 1.75 inches (“Martin Cooper”). Today, phones can be as light as 3.3 ounces (“Best Small Phones”). Even though older models weighed more they lacked a display screen (“Martin Cooper”). On current cell phones there is always a display screen (“Verizon”). Because the first cell phones had no display screen they were one solid piece (“Martin Cooper”). Today, phones are available that flip and slide (“Verizon”). Older cell phones were not only short of models, but capabilities as well. Dial, talk, and listen were the only features (“Martin Cooper”). Now, the iPhone 4, an advanced cell phone, can perform luxury tasks like video calling and web browsing (“Apple”). Even the most basic phones have more functions than the first cell phone such as texting and voicemail (“Verizon”). Lastly, battery life for the first cell phone was only 35 minutes before it needed to be charged for a full ten hours (“Martin Cooper”). The new iPhone 4 has a battery that lasts 38 hours on heavy use (Zee). Cell phones are continuing to increase their features, functions, and aesthetic appeal.

                Cell phone popularity, purposes, and consumers progressed or changed over the years. When cell phones first emerged they were expensive (“First Cell Phone”). This means people who had more money or business people were more likely to own a cell phone (“History”). Today, teenagers and college students own and use cell phones the most (Burns). In the 1980’s, cell phones were used for communication between families and friends, multitasking, calling home, and convenience calling in emergencies (Stewart). Currently, cell phones can be used for those things among many others. Advanced cell phones can now be used for accessing the internet or even checking the weather (“Apple”).  The popular purposes of cell phones are not the only things that have changed in terms of popularity with cell phones. Where cell phones are most popular has also progressed since they first came about. The first place that cell phones were released was in the United States (“Martin Cooper”). So naturally, the United States owned the most cell phones in 1983. Cell phones have spread; China now has the largest ownership in the world with 547,286,000 (2007) cell phone owners (“CIA World Fact Book”). The European Union has 466,000,000 (2005), India has 362,300,000 (2009), and the United States, the creator of the cell phone, comes in fourth place with 255,000,000 cell phones (2007). Since 1983, cell phones are used for many more things and used by many more people (“CIA World Fact Book”). Cell phones have increased their popularity and uses since they first came about.

                Cell phones are constantly improving their capabilities, speed, and reliability through experimentation with new types of technology. Currently, Apple is experimenting with 3G wireless chip technology that will be used in the upcoming iPhone 5 (Evans). Apple aims to improve the speed of the iPhone 5 by manufacturing a chip with a 65-nanometre process (Evans). This process will aid the progression of cell phones with power saving techniques and faster technology (“Intel”). Companies like Apple are constantly experimenting and changing cell phones. Over the years this has been made apparent by the changes in cell phone ownership, capabilities, and usage.

Works Cited

Apple. "IPhone 4 - Voice Memos, Calendar, Notes, and More Features." Apple. 2010. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. <http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/more-features.html>.

"Best Small Phones September 2010, Based On Top-reviewed U.S.A. Phones." The Best Cell Phones 2010, Top Rated And New Mobile Phones, Smartphones in 2010. Sept. 2010. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. <http://www.phonerated.com/c-top-rated-best-american-small-phones.php>.

Burns, Enid. "Teen, College Students Are Most Active Cell Phone Users | ClickZ." ClickZ | Marketing News & Expert Advice. 29 Aug. 2005. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. <http://www.clickz.com/clickz/stats/1711408/teen-college-students-are-most-active-cell-phone-users>.

"Cell Phone Providers Review." Cell Phone Providers Review 2010 - TopTenREVIEWS. 2010. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. <http://cell-phone-providers-review.toptenreviews.com/>.

"Cell Phones: Review Gist for Cell Phones Reviews." ReviewGist: Best Gadgets at Best Prices with Expert Reviews. 01 Oct. 2010. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. <http://www.reviewgist.com/cell-phone-reviews?weight=4.48-to-5>.

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