Are we using our mobile phones too much? And is it a Bad Thing?
Are we using our mobile phones too much? And is it a Bad Thing
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The mobile phone has become a key part to many people's lives with a lot of people wondering how they lived without one. In a recent study by Marketing Week, 80% of girls age 13-18 own a mobile phone with 25% claiming they cannot live without them.
Mobile Phones are no longer just mobile phones, they're on-the-go Internet devices, music players, games consoles and are pretty much at the centre of every teenagers universe. According to the research more than a quarter of girls use the Internet for more than four hours a day yet the older they get, this usage is done via their mobile phone whilst undertaking other activities.
With such a huge growth in mobile technology it is hard to stop teenagers wanting to communicate in this way as they have never known life without social networking, internet searches and mobile phones and leaving your child without the latest gadget could exclude them from their social group.
Phone companies have come to realise that internet usage is a key element to a young person's mobile phone deal which has an impact on what phone they are likely to choose. BlackBerry's instant messenger is popular as it is free yet BlackBerry's are far from cheap in the first place leaving parent's in a difficult situation as they are most likely the ones picking up the bill at the end of each month. Mobile phone deals now include unlimited Internet with just a small amount of minutes and texts allowance giving mobile Internet users a better option but they now need to stay ahead of the digital pack to provide for the next generation of savvy young consumers.
Developers seem keen on the idea that mobile phone technology especially with the use of apps is a vital part of communicating and going about daily life and this is surely only going to become more and more at the forefront of young people's minds as they become accustomed to using them so frequently.
Like it or not Generation Z are leading the way in social networking and mobile communication but should we try to turn their focus to old fashioned' face to face communication? What are your thoughts and experiences?