Most people over forty have experienced life without a cell phone, have survived and thrived. However, today parents are too busy talking or texting on their cell phones and ignore their children. Distracted parents are responsible for many near-drownings and injuries at home because they were too immersed in conversation. Children deliberately misbehave to get their parents' attention. Obviously, from the birth of an infant, the bond is established between the baby and his parents. Before babies can speak, adults talk to them and infants imitate their parents. Curious toddlers learn facial expressions by imitating others they see on various outings; mothers frequently take advantage of the shopping adventure to introduce their children to colors and counting. Additionally, car rides often led mothers and fathers to chat about the school day or sing songs played on the radio. A series of recent studies by Andrew K. Przybylski and Netta Weinstein of the University of Essex have shown that our phones can be detrimental to our close relationships. Surprisingly, they found that simply having a phone nearby, without even checking it, could harm our attempts at interpersonal connection. Too much face-to-face time with cell phones has led to a lack of face-to-face communication, a disregard for physical activity, and an apparent addiction to social media. However, cell phones are great for emergencies. Especially if someone is stuck in a traffic jam or in an accident, they can call 911. Additionally, if a person needs help finding their way, calling a tow truck because of a flat tire, having a cell phone is convenient. Today, students need cell phones for security because public phones no longer exist, and they have to call to dispose...... middle of paper ......lings, reconnect with everyone face to face is better than checking text messages. Finally, it is possible to establish interpersonal closeness and trust when families ignore the cell phone. Spending too much time on your cell phone impairs face-to-face communication, leads to a disregard for physical activity and an addiction to social media. Children need to know that they are more important than a cell phone and that they can live without a phone. -kids-study-finds/ http://ideas.time.com/2012/05/17/why-cell-phones-are-bad-for-parenting/ http://www.nbcnews.com/health/parenting /put-down-cellphone-study-finds-parents-distracted-devices-n47431 http://parentingtodayskids.com/article/distracted-parenting/ http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/10/how- cell phones are killing face-to-face interactions295/