Have cell phones come too far?

In this age of instant technology, one can argue that cell phone progress has come a long way in making our lives easier and more convenient.

Words that were unheard of 20 years ago proliferate our vocabulary and fill our pop culture.

Words like smartphone, apps, texting, tablet and ringtone are all words that we now see everyday.

But with the advances in technology, come the changes in lifestyle and we, as a collective group, get more reliant upon these little devices and inventions and in some cases, lazier and less attentive.

There is nothing more annoying than going into a place of business and being waited on by someone who has a cell phone to their ear. You'd like to think that the person waiting on you is giving you their undivided attention but in many cases, that's not so.

Cell phones have also become a huge part of the office environment with fancy little ringtones going off on everyone's desk, ranging from clown car horns to hip hop song samples, to just plain buzzing.

It's quite annoying in an office setting, but deemed a necessary part of everyday life by most people and overlooked by the high-ups.

Granted, the merits of texting someone in an emergency situation far outweighs the mom who texts her adult daughter constantly throughout the day to keep informed of her minute-by-minute activity.

So the phones have their advantages and they likely out-number the drawbacks, but we have to wonder where it stops.

The distracted driving laws have failed to make a dent in those texting or talking on a phone while driving. We see more and more people every day using them on the roadway.

Maybe grandma was right when she said "everything in moderation."