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Are you suffering from cell phone addiction? This newest psychological condition is spreading like wild fire and is mostly affecting our young. Recently I visited a major university, and as I drove through the campus, I observed hundreds of students walking to and from classes. Shockingly, almost every student had a cell phone planted in their ear. They are becoming a generation that cannot be left alone. The guardian angel that was supposed to be with us constantly has now been replaced by the cellular man.

Private time alone is a thing of the past -- they now have to be in constant contact with a speaking voice, and if that's not available, why not get a text message? How can these children concentrate and retain the face-to-face lecture or discussion they are having when they are carrying on another conversation?

A new set of courtesy rules also must be developed. What formerly was considered butting into a conversation has been replaced with the annoying buzzing sound signifying that someone is interrupting your conversation. If you really want to annoy someone, let your phone ring during a meeting. I've actually seen it happen in court, which creates one of those classic moments of silence where nothing in the courtroom moves except the head of the stern-faced judge who scans the room until the second or third ring locates the culprit.

And now parents are buying their 7 and 8 year old children cell phones claiming it is for safety. We need to take a serious look at this trend and determine whether our next generation will require constant cell phone babysitting or whether they will still enjoy enough private time to write thought-provoking editorials.