Final answer:
Handheld cellular telephones or texting devices are permitted in various settings due to the rise of mobile phones and the shift towards texting as the primary mode of communication. The use of smartphones with internet capabilities has also increased the acceptance of smartphone use in diverse settings.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of social studies, the use of handheld cellular telephones or texting devices is permitted in various settings.
As mobile phones became more prevalent, norms and behaviors needed to be established to address the annoyance caused by phone conversations in public. Texting became a workaround and surpassed phone conversations as the primary way to communicate anywhere.
The use of smartphones with internet capabilities has further expanded the acceptance of smartphone use in diverse settings, including previously prohibited ones.