Do you consider cellphone a part of social status or just something useful to yo
By Masmasika
@Masmasika (1921)
Philippines
October 9, 2008 11:14am CST
I don't know how others would consider cellphone but on my part, cellphone is just a useful tool for communication. In fact, i still use one of the oldest model. Cellphone to me is something very useful but it never entered my mind that it is a social status.
I overheard someone saying as I was walking that she loaned money to buy a new model cellphone which was quite expensive because her office mates have cellphones that they could boast in public. I don't understand then how they consider their cellphones. No wonder my son always begs me to buy him a new cellphone every time a new model was in the market. But i don't give in to his whims.
Maybe young people look at cellphones as something to show off but old people like me don't mind really what model we are using.
4 people like this
43 responses
@marababe (2503)
• Philippines
10 Oct 08
I consider my as an accessory but it is more of a useful tool to me than just showing off what brand or model of phone I have. As long as I am okay with the features then it's cool. I don't look at others' cellphones and base it there if they're high class or low class people although there really are certain phones that are being used mostly by certain people like PDA's, smartphones, etc. but I am not generalizing.
@robert19ph (4577)
• Philippines
10 Oct 08
hello Masmasika,
Just like you I am a practical person. For I will not buy a cellphone that is expensive just to show to everybody that mine is the latest or something. I'd rather save my money in the bank. What I have is free from one of our investments. Good thing there was a promo before. So what I did is to give my first cellphone to my eldest son. What's important is that I can receive text or call and vice versa. It's for emergency purposes not for show time. I will never loan for a cellphone or any gadgets for it will not lasts for a long time. Models changes every now and then.
@Margarit (3676)
• Philippines
10 Oct 08
cellphone is important now adAys, and infact some have more than one cellphone. Me, i have own five cellphone, 2 issue from thE company and 3 by myself with three different service provider. I see to it that a can reach anytime with they need me so i have more than one. About having latest model cellphone i think it no longer hot now a days for some remain to their old model cellphone, as long they can text and call, it is enough for them. And for me, celphone is a waste of money if you keep on buying the latest model for every month their is always new one in the market. I am done with it AND I AM SATISFIED ALREADY WITH MY CELLPHONE.
@srikool (936)
• India
10 Oct 08
yes mobile is important to all..even to a child..all need the mobile..then only they can contact us while in a urgent time...im a child ..im having mobile..but we have o use it in a correct way..that parent have to teach us...it is great invetion..we must be use it in right path..have a nice time
@thinksf (152)
• United States
10 Oct 08
I agree that cell phones are useful communication tools, but they are definitely indicators of social status as well, as any accessory is. The nicer the cell phone, the more prestige, the higher assumed class, wealth, privilege, etc.
Cell phones are great social indicators of class.
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
10 Oct 08
Actually just having a really nice phone can be a sign of being a show off wanna be who really has nothing but a bling phone.
A really expensive phone as part of a whole expensive put together package, cloths shoes hair nails etc would give that assumption. Without all the others it's jsut bling.
@Cajunhellcat (2073)
• United States
10 Oct 08
just something useful half the time I don't have it on me
@applefreak (3130)
• Singapore
12 Oct 08
well some mobile phones are indeed reflect a person's social status. if i see someone using a vertu, i'd think this person is from a higher social class. why else would anyone splurge tens of thousands on a mobile phone? other than that, i think all the mobile phones are the same. most mobile phones cost around the same price, so it doesn't really reflect a person's social status.
i do go for new models if i find that it has what i wanted. i just got a new mobile phone two months ago. it's kind of like my dream phone but it's not an expensive one. before that, i used my mobile phone for two over years. cheers ;p
@elitess (5070)
• Ipswich, England
10 Oct 08
Hi there. I think this is a matter of perspective and it does not matter how young or old you are. There are some people that just like to brag about their mobile phones ( even if they are 13 years old, even if they are 45 years old) and there are people who don't really mind what model they are using (like you) but probably have a criteria of their own regarding cell phones (like me).
@jemalynjoy (215)
• Philippines
10 Oct 08
Partly, it is of social status for me for I desire that my phone is not that late behind with the trend. But mostly, I see phones as a necessity to my every day life. I am in a sort of long distance relationship and my phone serves as a medium for me to communicate with him. Of course I also use my cellphone in communicating with my friends and family. So it's more of a necessity than social status.
@adriantys78 (949)
• Malaysia
12 Oct 08
Hi Masmasika, For me i didn't use the cellphone to showoff or present my social status. If i were to do that, then i believe my cellphone might in high risk to get lost as someone might target my cellphone to be steal then. 
But i do know some of my friends they do showoff their cellphone from time to time. So they normally will change new phone after few weeks. The reason they claim is to have chance expose to latest technology of cellphone, which i am not quite accept that reasons. 
But i do know some of my friends they do showoff their cellphone from time to time. So they normally will change new phone after few weeks. The reason they claim is to have chance expose to latest technology of cellphone, which i am not quite accept that reasons. @drnehasth (36)
•
11 Oct 08
wel babes it is indeed a useful tool 4 comunication
also it doubles as a pda 4 me
n as an i pod and a comunicator
n at dire times has also helpd in data transfer
or a camara wen i need to take a pic in least xpected situations
wel 4 me a mobile is everything a man wants :)
its like a swiss army knife !
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
10 Oct 08
I agree 100%. To me a cell is something you make phone calls on. I don't care about texting (I have email for that), ringtones (I have a radio for that), or a host of other perks that are being added to phones now. Maybe someday that viewpoint will change, I don't know. I like my old cell phone, why would I get rid of it when I've finally learned to use all the features...lol?
@santhoshi1289 (11)
• India
10 Oct 08
cell phone is jus a useful thing to me...it doesn do anthin gr8 to be as a part of social status! oh come on yaar...each n evry person in ourcountry has a cell phone!!! so..guys its got notin to do in social status....may be if u hav a costlier mob ppl respond wit a woahhhh!!! n ther ends the matr!!:)
@emarie (5442)
• United States
10 Oct 08
Hey, i have the standard cell which comes with the policy. i don't need fancy gadgets in mine, although my husband will probably need a new one since its getting old. i just use my cell mostly for a clock, then as a way for people to contact me when i'm out. nothing more then that.
@trixyteddy (1070)
• India
10 Oct 08
Right now I think its more useful than an add on. If I were young, I might have wanted to have just because the others do. Lets not fool ourselves. Lets put ourselves in the youngsters place and think how we would have reacted.
@vicky30 (4766)
• India
10 Oct 08
Its really true about his.Young people love to try out new models of phones.I think that if new features are available in the phone
.Then it is worth changing the phone.
.Then it is worth changing the phone. @TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
10 Oct 08
A cell phone is a necessity. I have mid priced models. Nothing fancy, but I do like them small and light. My back is so bad that the few extra or fewer grams in my purse makes a huge difference to me.
@mayrah (1144)
• United States
10 Oct 08
Hello Masmasika! just like you I consider my cellphone as my tool for communication, And it's also an old model. Every time I was with my friend who has new model cellphone, I don't mind what they would think of me while seeing me using my old model one. For me It's a waste of money to always buy latest model cellphone when you already had your old one. Considering that it only takes a month, then another model would come. There is never ending satisfaction of possessing those latest brand or model. So personally I would not be attracted with that stuff.
