The mobile phone is ingrained into young people’s everyday lives, with 42% claiming it’s the first thing they look at in the morning and they last thing they do at night.
The mobile provides a private form of connection and communication as it helps youths feel safe and is seen as a sign of being allowed more freedom from home. In contrast, parents are using it as a form of control to know where their children are. There are some gender differences – for females, the safety and connectivity element of mobiles are important, whilst for males looking smart is a bigger driver.
On average, youths have 94 names in their mobile address book, with Italy having the highest at 150 and Canada the lowest at 52.
Texting is more common than calling
Although young people use mobiles for multiple reasons, talking and texting remain the most common. Globally, texting is preferred over calling, as it fulfils a number of roles from social co-ordination, communicating with a wider circle of friends and flirting. Calls are generally reserved for communication with closer friends or for passing on good news.
Mobile is becoming a personal entertainment device
The mobile is extending into a personal entertainment and sharing device, with youths using mobiles to send pictures or video clips or ‘bluetooth stuff‘to each other.
Pictures are important, particularly for girls, as they wish to capture and keep experiences, share them and re-live them. Playing games, sharing content, listening to music and going online are other ways in which mobiles are used.
Watching content via a mobile is still in the minority, but there is more interest to view content in the future via their mobile, with more interest shown amongst males.
There are barriers to using a mobile for entertainment purposes
Cost is one of the barriers preventing mobiles being used for entertainment purposes. Youths appear to be aware of the cost associated with mobiles but are finding ways to reduce the charges, through swapping info via Bluetooth or only making calls they are free. The small screen size and perception that a phone isn’t for watching TV shows on are the biggest barriers for youths not wanting to watch TV shows on a mobile.
