The use of cellular phones has rapidly increased in the United States since the mid 1980s, a trend which has been witnessed in a number of other countries around the world as well.

The 2000 World Almanac indicates that the U.S. had about 340 thousand cell phone subscribers in 1985, a statistic that would skyrocket to 69.2 million by 1998; about a quarter of the population.

The number of cellular users have no doubt risen significantly since then as well. Many such telephones cost under $50 now, whereas they were priced at over $1,000 USD when first introduced.

It remains to be seen whether cellphones will eventually be replaced by a different technology or if fewer people will use them as information about potential health risks comes to light.