Isabelle Pinard
Reporter
Senior Jessica Peterson can whip out her cell phone faster than Clint Eastwood could pull out his gun in the old spaghetti westerns, shooting out text messages and talking up a storm thanks to combining billing charges with her parents.
“I have a [Motorola] RAZR from AT&T with the family plan,” said Peterson. “It is useful because I can talk to anyone in my family circle for free and chat with people who have AT&T without extra charge.”
AT&T, Sprint and T-mobile’s family plans offer lower prices for households by combining popular features into one plan instead of each person having an individual cell phone package.
“I tend to go over my minutes and spend too much on text messaging,” said sophomore Nikki Hvid. “I use my own money when I go over, so I have decided to join the Sprint Everything Family messaging plan which gives me minutes to burn as well as unlimited night and weekend minutes.”
Seventy-five percent of 12 to 17 year olds own cell phones, and 43 percent of those teens take their phones to school, sending at least one text message from class a day according to a recent Pew Internet study from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.
“I do text more than I talk on the phone because it is easier to communicating with my parents and friends that way,” said freshman Izzy Borges. “I am currently using the AT&T Family Talk Nation Plan with messaging and voice because it allows me to have unlimited texting and minutes with my friends and family.”
Teens extensively text and talk according to the Pew Research Center, therefore a variety of cell phone plans from the major cell phone companies helps provide families with a lower price for their messaging and calls.
“I have three kids,” said administration assistant Jeanne Asdourian. “My kids as well as I use the Verizon Nationwide Family Share plans for our text messaging and my husband uses the plan for his work. The only draw back is that we do not get coverage abroad and my family travels a lot.”
When choosing a cell phone plan, it is important to consider the demands of a family or an individual and determine how often features such as Internet access, texting, multimedia, and calls abroad will be used.
In an attempt to attract customers, cell phone companies add popular features to their family plans. AT&T’s Family Plan can be adjusted in voice and messaging services, and Verizon plans offer families data packages that can reduce usage charges.
“Family plans offered by big cell phone companies can really help ease the price for communications and texting,” said Asdourian. “It’s just a better deal to get unlimited calling, or unlimited texting and paying a sensible price than receiving an unexpected charge on your bill.”
