People don’t realize how much cell phones have an impact on their lives. Parents are beginning to buy them for their children at a younger age and you’ll never catch anyone leaving the house without his or her cellphone.

During all lunches at AHS on Oct. 16, a total of 586 students took a survey about cell phones.

“I hate my phone because I feel like I’m in jail, but it’s a must have and if you misplace it you start panicking,” senior Jocelynne Justiniano said. “It’s like your baby.”

These days, teens feel as if they cannot go without their phones. They are addicted to it and aren’t sure how to stop. They get so frusterated with themselves because the second they get a message they have to view it.

Cell phones are being used every second of the day even when they’re not needed. Take a peek inside classrooms during W4 or Pride time and all you will see are students using their phones instead of engaging in conversations with the people around them.

A recent survey showed that most AHS students would not care if they were to leave their phone at home.

People are not only on their phones during school hours, but also while hanging out with their friends, at football and volleyball games. You can see a variety of people taking pictures, playing games and scrolling through twitter, thus missing out on the touchdowns and goals being made. Half of the time they do not know what is going on because they are too busy on their phones!

Today’s most popular phone is Apple’s iPhone. Each year they come out with a better version and people are really fond of the product which is why they continue to update it each year. Although iPhones are very popular these days they have a bit of competition with the second most popular brand; Androids.

If you take a break from your phone and look around you’ll see your peers also engaged in social media or games on their phones. Individuals are so busy living through a screen that they don’t notice their surroundings.

Since just about everyone has an iPhone, iMessage is more commanly used rather than text messages. On average, at Annandale, people get around 101 or more text and iMessages daily.

Although phones can sometimes be a distraction, they have many useful apps. Phones can be used to get assistance with homework you don’t understand, or to create notecards to study for a test.

“If someone needs me and it’s important, I have my phone with me,” senior Jashon Reams said.

Students are constantly receiving emails from their teachers that go directly to their phones so they never miss an assignment or announcement. This allows them to always be prepared for class!

Remember the digital camera days? We don’t have to worry about that anymore! Whenever something happens and you feel you must capture the moment, all you have to do is pull out your phone and snap a picture. The average Annandale student has around 101-500 on their phone.

We also now use our smart phones for GPS so that we never get lost. It’s easier to use rather than having to use a map or a built in navigation system in your car. Cell phones have made our lives much more efficient. We are able to accomplish tasks much quicker and search the Internet for just about anything.

Cell phones are a great way to stay in contact with your friends and family all over the world. There are many apps that allow people to keep in touch with family overseas in foreign countries, such as WhatsApp. This free app makes it convenient to communicate with relatives on a daily or weekly basis.

“I rely on my cellphone for texting my mom,” senior Beau Hatch said.

Some apps exist for people’s own entertainment such as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. These apps are used to share little pieces of your life with your followers, which usually consist of family and friends.

Twitter was the most common app that AHS students had in their phones followed by Instagram and Snapchat.

Students also said that the use of their phone was to communicate and stay in contact with their family, friends and significant other.

“I use my cellphone for communication because when something happens, I have to tell someone,” junior Saad Farooq said.

The Atoms are on their phones on average for more than seven hours a day. Although it may seem that they would always have to be charged up, very little people carry around portable chargers.

Cell phones take up most of your time without you even realizing it.