Finally, this latest generation of young potential drivers are living in a period unlike anything previous generations could have imagined: that of extreme connectivity. Of the three women, all had cellphones while only Morgan had a smartphone (an iPhone 4). The other two girls had modern flip-style phones with keyboards for texting. All of the women got their first cell phones in about 8th grade.

While having a car was status and freedom for generations past, the modern cell phone, Internet and the instant connectivity they engender are the new freedoms. There’s no need to hop in a car and drive to someone’s house or the Quick-E-Mart parking lot to be seen and get the latest scoop. That’s what ********, Twitter, text messaging and Google hangouts are for, and much of it is free or close to it. It’s also instantaneous and does not require trips to the DMV, DEQ or gas station.

Morgan said she sees her smartphone as helpful in emergencies, for finding information and for connecting with other people. She also said paying for gas for the car “stinks.” But Morgan was the only woman of the three to have a smartphone. “Once you get a smart phone, you can’t go back, there’s so many things about it you revolve your life around” she said, citing her use of apps for movie times and bus schedules she often used before she got her car. “Also, I don’t think I could have gotten my car or my license without my phone GPS because I get lost so much,” she added. “I’m terrified of getting lost.”

“Pretty important” is how Mary Shannon described her phone, a basic non-smart phone she called “a dumb phone.” She uses it to coordinate rides, network with friends and get babysitting jobs. Her sister Maggie was less addicted. “I think people tend to think their phones are more important than they really are,” she said. She said she sometimes goes days without using hers because she can’t find her charger and “it’s kind of nice” not to have to deal with constant communication. “It’s less ADDish,” she said of being phone free for stretches.

But if placed in a position where they had to choose a phone or a car, which way would they go?

“I feel we rely on our technology too much,” Mary Shannon said, opting for a set of wheels over her phone. “I suppose it’s easier to borrow a friends’ phone than their car,” she added. Maggie agreed, saying a nice car easily trumps a phone and she can do much of what she needs to do online from a computer. “You can always borrow someone’s phone,” she said.

Even Morgan said she’d let go of her beloved iPhone before her car since she needs the car as part of her college education to become a teacher. She is required to teach part time at grade schools not served by mass transit, so a car is pretty important to her.

Car lust lives on
All three women said most of their friends had their driver’s licenses and some had cars, but most all of them drove cars provided by their parents instead of owning one outright. “I don’t know anyone that saved up for their own car,” Morgan said.