Self-Esteem

• When cell phone use becomes habitually addictive, studies have shown that cell phone use can lower a person's self-esteem. A 2005 study printed in "CyberPsychology & Behavior" reported that younger people, especially children and teens, who are socially outgoing but exhibit self-esteem problems are most likely to develop addictive cell phone use behaviors. The use of technology, including cell phones, to harass individuals, an action known as "cyberbullying," also leads to lowered self-esteem among those targeted by this type of harassment.
  
  

Social Support

• The use of cell phones in a person's daily life can have the affect of increasing the diversity of that person's social life, improving her web of social support. A 2009 joint study between the Pew Internet Project and the University of Pennsylvania found that, although personal discussion networks among Americans have shrunk by one-third since 1985, a mere 6 percent of the country's people believe that they have no especially significant relationships in their lives. This study also found that the core networks, or networks of close personal relationships, of mobile phone users were 12 percent larger than the core networks of non-mobile phone users.
  
  

Peer Reinforcement

• In social relationships, cell phone use has been found to reinforce relationships with a person's peers, especially among younger people. A 2010 study published in "Childhood" indicated that increased cell phone use among children allowed them more control over maintaining and managing their relationships with their peers. A 2004 University of Plymouth study on cell phone use reported that texters, although more socially anxious, had tighter and more interconnected social circles than cell phone users who primarily talk.
  
  

Behavior Toward Others

• Cell phone use can also affect a person's behavior toward people who are physically present near the cell phone user. A 2008 article printed in "The Open Communication Journal" argued that the responsive nature of answering a cell phone call creates a sense of obligation to the cell phone that outweighs the sense of obligation to people nearby. This results in a person's lessened ability to communicate with those around them when his cell phone becomes the focus.