Games in the Palm of Your Hand- good or bad?

In class today, Professor Simon mentioned iPhones and other cellphones that now have video games on them at a person can play without the use of a console or outlet.

I too once thought about buying games for my phone, then realized that the $7.99 Verizon wanted to charge me to have unlimited use of Tetris on my phone was just ridiculous. I can go to the video game shop in Dunkirk, (Gamerz Haven) and possibly spend $5 on a cartridge for my original NES. This made me think why people would need games on their phones anyway.

Yes, I'm sure having those time consumer right at your finger tips is an easy way to pass the time while traveling, but increasingly, people are using them at times when they should be doing something else. For example, I have a friend who has Guitar Hero on her phone and usually only played it while she was at work in a retail store. Working in retail myself, I know there are times when you don't have customers or work to be done, but I know if I was ever caught playing a game on my cellphone, or using my cellphone at all, my job would be on the line.

The question that I have is then: Why do people need constant entertaining with moving objects, noises and flashing lights? Have the whole world developed ADD?

I believe Americans, I can't lump the rest of the world in this, are so used to being business all the time, the idea of having a chance for pure relaxation and turning one's brain off may be kind of scary. We must be constantly thinking and doing something.

This may not be true to all cellphone game users. May be it is more of the need to have the hands busy. We are a country of figit-ers! When I quit smoking cigarettes, the one problem I had most was figuring out what to do with my hands. The motion of my arm bringing my hand, holding a cigarette, to my lips and repeat became second nature and stopping this motion seemed unnatural. I believe this is the direction that cellphones are going. You can ask young adults now and they will tell you how lost they would be without their cellphone. We depend on a small, handheld device so so much, the concept must be to see how much of a consumer;s life can be packed into its programming. The next thing you know, you'll be able to file your taxes through text messages.