Your Cell Phone, or Two Million Dollars?

Okay, I like my cell phone too, but this is crazy:

According to a recent Mobile Life survey of 1,256 British cell phone users, one-third of respondents would pass on a whopping $2 million (or 1 million pounds) in favor of their cell phones, and 16 percent said that price was no object when it came to keeping their beloved electronic companion.

That was just the highlight of the study, conducted in the United Kingdom, and designed to quantify the impact of cell phones on modern life. Actually, this might be the highlight: a majority of 16- to 24-year olds would rather surrender tea, coffee, alcohol chocolate or sex than live without their cell phone for a month. The same research found that 76% of respondents believe that owning a cell phone is a “social requirement,� while 85% say that their phone is “vital to maintaining their quality of life.�

It’s fairly well known that Europe and Asia are significantly ahead of the United States, in terms of linking cell phones directly to identity and lifestyle. Text messaging and multimedia messaging, for instance, are even more popular abroad than they are here. In general terms, the “mobile phone� is tied into the concept that all members of a society are linked together; a cell phone allows us to tap into that collective consciousness and remain connected to each other. Indeed, most Europeans view the cellular industry as the central source of new innovation, and envision a future when everything relies on “virtual mobility tools.�

Through that prism, the results of the Mobile Life survey are a little less shocking. But, come on. What would happen if you passed on that hypothetical $2 million, only to drop your phone in the toilet – sorry, the loo – the next day?