Cell Phones on Pace to Outnumber Humans [POLL]

Cell phones are arguably one of the most ubiquitous items in the world. Everywhere you look it seems someone is talking, texting, typing or otherwise tuned into their cell.

It's no surprise then that a recently released report from Cisco reveals that the number of cell phones will surpass the human population this year. To some, the statistic is scary. Others may find the fact fascinating. A few others to consider:

• Average smartphone usage almost tripled in the past year, according to Cisco's report -- from 55 MBs per month in 2010 to 150 MBs per month in 2011.
• U.S. teens send and receive on average 3,339 texts per month, or the equivalent of more than six every hour they're awake, according to the Nielsen Company.

A 2010 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation reported by Bloomberg Businessweek attributes an increase in U.S. children's media consumption to the explosion of cell phone use. Indeed, the number of teens with a cell phone and the time they spend using them has soared in recent years, so much so that some suffer from Texting Teen Tendonitis, according to SafetyWeb.

And, according to the National Safety Council, cell phones can present a health hazard when combined with driving. The council estimates that at least 1.6 millions crashes each year involve drivers using cell phones -- another way of looking at that: 28% of all crashes.

With all this in mind, and based on your own experience, are we too reliant on cell phones?