Majority of school-going kids passionate for mobile phoneSaturday, December 04, 2010

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Saturday, December 04, 2010

In an exclusive survey by ASSOCHAM on young adolescents aged between 16 and 18 found 66% of high school students passionate to carry a mobile handset while going schools, attending classes and tuition session, and while visiting public places with their friends and colleagues has become common scene to day.

This bizarre behavior tendency attributed to some socio-economic factors like excess pampering by parents, easy access to pocket money, absence of parental day-to-day monitoring, urbanization, and westernized cultural influence motivate them to do so. This was the essence of this bizarre tendency, reveals the ASSOCHAM survey conducted under its ASSOCHAM Social Development Foundation (ASDF).

Further survey depicts around 26% of teenagers (middle school students) aged between 13 and 15 also motivated to carry the mobile handsets in alternate days, besides one of four school children aged 13 to 18 has cell phones in their possession.

ASSOCHAM survey on “Toy to Tool”, found 88% of adolescents aged between 15 and 18 year possess mobile phone with ownership basis while 40% of teenagers aged 13-15 now also use cell phones.

An interview was conducted in metro cities wherein many respondents were interacted by ASDF include Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Patna, Pune, Ahemdabad, Delhi, Chandigarh and Dehradun and it was observed many children are using their phones not only for talking purposes but also availing other value added applications like sending SMS, making video film, MMS, chatting etc which is the practice among teenagers. There are many other evils connected with use of mobile phone users especially among teenagers, like sting operations and health hazards reveals the survey.

Mr. D S Rawat, Secretary General ASSOCHAM opines despite school strictures and policies, the ground reality is that more than two-thirds of teens confess that they are using cell phones in school premises when they shouldn't.

Teenagers in metropolitan cities are showing increased dependence on possessing mobile phones, which have become a “must-have” item in tandem, according to the results of the survey released by the ASSOCHAM.

The survey was conducted during September-November 2010 with random sample of 2000 parents and 2,500 students whose studentship ranges between 4th and 12th grade in around 25 schools in the country. The survey also cautioned if this bizarre tendency prevails among teenagers' of their increased dependence on mobile phones could develop into habitual addiction on mobile handsets.

Mobile phone handsets are taking centre stage in the lives of metropolitan teenagers, who often send or receive dozens of emails a day while eating, attending school or even taking a bath, highlight the survey.

Survey also unravel teenagers who excessively use their cell phones are more prone to abnormalities like disrupted sleep, restlessness, stress and fatigue. Children prone to start using mobile phones at an early stage of their life which is plaguing in Indian families. There seems to be a intrinsic connection between extensive use of cell phones and health-hazards compromising (pampering) behavior such as smoking, snuffing and use of alcohol, emphasized the survey.

Further study also found 71% of teens desires their handsets to be equipped with MP3 gadgets to play music, while 70% want camera phones. The majority of kids are most interested in multi-functioning cell phones, as 71% seek wireless phones that convert into MP3 players, while 70% are interested in handsets that transform into digital cameras. They use their phones to send email to their friends, to read books, listen to music and surf the Internet, as well as for chatting with nears and dears and kith and kin.

Above all 90% of the parents felt they bought the mobile phones for their children because of their preoccupation so that their tiny tots indulge in their own world and not to disturb them. In fact they are concerned their children should not mix with bad company but to indulge to play with the mobile handsets. They want to contact their kids any time by means of mobile phone and can track their movements well in advance and to extend prompt timely guidance.

Some parents are not fully aware of these evils, 56% of parents feel cell phones play vital role in communication during the emergency exigencies and many parents desires their children be allowed to keep cell phones with them. Cell phones can also be used for extending helping hand during classroom session with medication, felt 23% of parents.

On the contrary about 56% of parents’ desires students should not be allowed to use mobile telephones publicly in general and during classroom sessions in particular.

In all hypes and buzz the survey highlighted that maximum SMS being used by teens who send and receive an average of 2,500 text messages each month and contributing good amount to the kitty of ISPs.

The mobile has become a communication means with fastest development and it gradually grows to be an indispensable tool for people in general and it's common toy for the children who holds mobile handsets heralds the survey from the inputs of the majority of parents.

Every year more and more kids prone to get cell phones which were the outcome of this survey and reveals before attaining their teenage kids are getting cell phones. Children feel its fun to having latest branded launched mobile handsets is the need of the hour and talk of the day and indispensable without that there is no life they feel. In addition about 42% of kids feel they are ready to use phones in dark or blindfolded where they opt to send SMS.

The telecom operators in India have recently launched the 10 Rs. talk time card, as their marketing strategy to attract gullible children who can only be used for sending message and making calls. Access is universal and affordable, and there is little stringent regulations in existence in terms of purchase or usage. In order to capture the youth market, admits Mr. Rawat.

The report finding says around 20 messages in maximum by each student per day while 56% of teenage girls send almost 50 text messages every day. The number of texts being sent is on the rise, especially among teenagers age 16 to 18.

Those kids who get lesser pocket money may not be able to use phones for sending text messages but those kids get sumptuous pocket money will spend money lavishly and avail multiple services through their mobile handsets without any proper control – reveals the survey.

Girls are also more prone to phones than boys to send text messages for social reasons, to text privately, and to text for school work.

* 69% of girls text several times a day to "just say hello and chat"; 42% of boys do so.
* 74% of girls have long text exchanges on personal matters; 67% of boys have similar exchanges.
* 66% of girls text about school work, while 54% of boys text about school.

Most schools treat the phone as something to be contained and regulated, but teens are nevertheless use phones frequently in the class for SMS.

* 83% use their phones to take pictures.
* 64% share pictures with others.
* 60% play music on their phones.
* 46% play games on their phones.
* 32% exchange videos on their phones.
* 31% exchange instant messages on their phones.
* 27% go online for general purposes on their phones.
* 23% access social network sites on their phones.
* 21% use email on their phones.
* 11% purchase things via their phones.

Who has cell phones?

51 percent of 12-year-olds
53 percent of 13-year-olds
72 percent of 14-year-olds
79 percent of 15 year-olds
85 percent of 16-year-olds
84 percent of 17-year-olds
92 percent of 18-year-olds

How teens use their cell phones

94 percent call their friends
76 percent text message
38 percent text message daily

News Source : Majority of school-going kids passionate for mobile phoneSaturday, December 04, 2010