If you have a teenager, you already know this. In a study released this week, polled teens say that after clothing, a cellphone tells the most about a person's social status or popularity. It took a Harris Interactive and CTIA-the Wireless Assn., study to tell us this?

So, for example, the fact that my daughter has an iPhone (old version) brings up her ranking even more than the funky jewelry or the latest Vans. It's not that I recommend giving 13-year olds iPhones necessarily, but as the daughter of a gadget reviewer she inherits all my hand-me-downs. Having the latest cellphone is "absolutely essential," according to 28% of all teens and 34% of kids 13 to 15 years old.

More breaking news from the study:

- About 4 of every 5 teens carry cellphones, up 40% from 2004
- Nearly half of them say having a cellphone is "key to my social life."

What's more , 42% of the teens surveyed said they could text while blindfolded.( Let's just hope they don't text while driving.) The only surprise; it turns out male teens talk on their phones more than they text, while females text more than they talk. Females are generally more dexterous, which may account for those results.

Advertisers- for whom obviously this study was designed -- will be overjoyed to know that 59% of teens would be willing to provide personal information to wireless providers so they can receive targeted text messages, and about 40% of teens believe that mobile phones should be free and paid for by advertisers, much like television.

Since teenagers are going to be the drivers for the new technology and phones, they were queried about the next generation. No surprise, they expect them to be waterproof and drop- proof, able to translate languages instantly (handy for Spanish homework), and run the rest of the gizmos in the home. I'm surprised they don't expect them to open the kitchen and bring them a snack.

Read the entire study here and starting saving for that brand-new smart phone for your teenager. A small price to pay for popularity?