From M/Cyclopedia of New Media
Annotated Bibliography
The effects of mobile communication on youth culture
Aakhus, M. and Katz, E.J.(2002) Perpetual Contact: Mobile Communication; Private Talk, Public Performance, UK, Cambridge.:Cambridge University Press,ISBN 0-521-80771-9
- Perpetual Contact looks specifically at different nations and their mobile phone use and habits. As well as the impact that the mobile phone has on the social and cultural aspects of the nations.
- This text provides particular relevance to the topic of mobile communication and its effect on youth culture, in particular Parts 2 and 3. Part 2, which begins on Page 170, looks at 'Mobile culture of children and teens in Finland'. Part 3, which begins on Page 242, looks at the move from 'Mass society to perpetual contact: Models of communication technologies in a social conext'. Within this text there are also many relevant figures and tables, such as figure 16.2 on page 262, which shows the important factors for both boys and girls concerning the use of a mobile phone.
- When looking specifically at Part 2, (2002, p.170), the chapters focus on the text messaging phenomona of 13-18 year olds. This chapter brings up many important points about how young people communicate and express themselves in a very different way compared to previous generations and how text messaging impacts on their social surroundings. One of the interesting and more important points made in this text is that 'the mobile phenomena fosters contempt - and that researchers and people are more interested in belittling and poking fun at the phenomena than looking at it and having serious dicussions of its consequences' (Aakhs and Katz, 2002, p.190).
- Overall this text is extremely relevant to the topic of mobile communication and its efect on youth culture, dealing with all the issues that are pertinent to this research topic. As Aakhs and Katz state 'The mobile has found a permanent place in the pockets of youth'(2002, p.191).
Curry, R.S (2001) Wireless Trend Taking Hold, Chicago.: Advertising Age, Vol No.27, Issue No.26, pp.52, Retrieved Aug 10,2004, from URL http://www.proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=16&sid=6&srchmode=1&vinst=PROD&fmt
- Curry's article describes the accessible and lucrative youth market, describing how almost 100% of the youth population have gone wireless and how there will be a dramatic increase in the development of the technology market for generation-Y.
- In the third paragraph, Curry has included an interview he had with two teenage girls. They describe how in youth culture it is expected that everyone has a mobile phone- the mobile is a necessity if a teen wants a healthy social life (2001, p.52).
- Curry also points out that 72% of mobile phones and the monthly bills that come hand in hand are paid for by parents. This raises the issue of the independance of youth culture.
- Curry believes the mobile phenomena is not only about independence and social mobility but it is about self-expression, and the youth segment are poster children for self-expression (2001, p.52).
Funston, A. and MacNeil, K. (1999) Mobile Matters: Young People and Mobile Phones, Melb, Vic.:Communications Law Center, ISBN 1875538283
- Funston and MacNeil's text is a study focused on the experiences of 16-24 year olds, both male and female, and their mobile phone use. The study although quite focused on the law aspects of debt and contracts for young mobile phone users, provides some very up to date and interesting information concerning the topic of 'Mobile communication and its effect on youth culture'.
- Within this report the authors identified three main characteristics of young people's purchasing decisions when it comes to mobile phone. These characteristics are: the dynamic mobile phone market and youth lifestyle, the complex nature of the consumer choice involved in purchasing a mobile phone product and the ongoing contractual relationship frequently created between the young customer and the mobile phone service provider.
- The key findings that came from the surveys and focus groups with 16-24 year olds were: that mobile phones were now firmly established in young peoples lives and that the youth of today regard the mobile phone as a necessity of life. The study found that 34% of 16-24 year olds owned their own mobile and paid all bills, (this figure was not including those people who shared a mobile or borrowed one).
- A very useful chapter in this report is Chapter 4 'The Mobile Phone Market, Product and Industry'. This chapter dicusses the process of purchasing a phone and why there is such a need for one as a young person. Funson and MacNeil found through their focus groups that one of the reasons why young people purchase a mobile phone is that they have enthusiasm for new technology and therefore are more likely to follow and adapt to it faster than other generations would. Another interesting factor that could be investigated further in relation to the topic, was brought up by Funston and MacNeil in Chapter 4, this is that the 'massive mobile phone uptake by youths could be attributed to the aggressive advertising campaigns that portray the mobile phone as an essential element of a young persons vibrant social and family life'. (Funston and MacNeil, 1999, p.12)
- The text goes on to outline the reasons for purchasing a mobile and the findings from the focus groups. The topics covered in this text and the issues and points it uncovers provide a very useful basis for researching the topic of mobile communication and its effect on youth culture.
Latham, R. (2002) Consuming Youth: Vampires, Cyborgs and the Culture of Consumption, Chicago.:The University of Chicargo Press,ISBN 0-226-46891-7
- This text is useful even though it does not deal specifically with mobile phone use it addresses the psychology of youth culture and its relation to the consumer society they are enveloped in. This consumer society that is addressed in Lathams text can be directly related to the mobile phone culture and how the youth view this technology.
- Chapter 5 (Latham, 2002, p.180) Fast Sofas and Cyborg Couch Potatos: Generation X on the Infobahn, addresses the issues of the expectation of an affluent lifestyle, which could be directly linked to the amount of technology that young people acquire. The chapter talks about the contention that change must occur, because the newly interactive consciousness of contempory youth will demand it (digital communicators).
- Issues such as these and the many more addressed within this text can be directly related to the effects of mobile communication on youth culture.
Lazarus, E. (2002) Asking For Their Number: Cell Phone Companies are Intent on Wooing the Lucrative Youth Market, Toronto.: Marketing Magazine, Vol No.107, Issue No.31, pg.15, retrieved Aug 10,2004, from URL http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=11&sid=6&srchmode=1&vinst=PROD&fmt
- Lazarus's article from Marketing Magazine, proves a very relevant source for this research topic. The article deals specifically with the marketing and advertising of mobile phones and how communication companies are trying to tap into the youth market in a huge and fast way.
- Lazarus points out that the youth market is growing at twice the national average and that the youth of today have disposable income, they are early technology adopters and in many cases push the shopping trolley for the family (2002, p.15).
- The youth of today need to be entertained and want to be treated like adults- this article predicts that the youth market will push the wireless industry and that their buying capacity and mobile useage will increase.
Manketelow, N. (2002) The Call of the Mobile, The Age retrieved August 5, 2004, from URL http://www.theage.com.au/cgi-bin/common/popup
- This brief article holds some very important information concerning the topic of mobile communication and its effect on youth culture. Manktelow stated that (2002, p.1), 66% of all Australians over 16 own a mobile phone, and that up to $10 million is be spent on downloading ringtones and logos in Australia yearly.
- This small piece of text has some very interesting statistics and provides very relevant information to assist in the researching of the topic. As with many of the other text that are covered in this bibliography, this one also touches on the factor of texting between mobiles. It states that, 'a lot of TV stations have integrated SMS into their competitions. SMS is quicker, easier and its cheaper than a stamp' (Manktelow, p.1).
Plant, S. (2003) On The Mobile: The Effects of Mobile Telephones on Social and Individual Life, retrieved Augsut 5, 2004, from URL http://www.motorola.com/mot/documents/0,1028,296,00.pdf
- This report was wirtten by Sadie Plant, for Motorola, in an effort to help the company understand the effects mobile phone technology was having on societies all across the world. Although it is not directly related to youth and the way they use mobile communication technology, the report was however, very relevant to the topic of The effect of mobile communication on youth culture.
- The main point of the report was that the mobile phone is an accessible technology and it alters the way we conduct our everyday lives. This mobile technology was identified as also creating adverse social and cultural effects on lives and on societies.
- In relation specifically to the youth culture there are many paragraphs in this report explaining and or identifying the way in which the youth of today use this accessible technology. The report points out that now the mobile has become a fashion accessory and the youth culture see it as a symobl of their identity and popularity. For example, Plant pointed out that the youth of today use the mobile as a means of bullying others who do and don't have phones, eg: how many names are in their address book, what model is the phone and which is better.
- The report also points out that young people use this mobile technology to conduct various relationships and also to end various relationships, whereas the older generation feel disconnected by this very impersonal means of communicating.
Inga Tracey 22:58, 9 Aug 2004 (EST)
Rosengren, K.E, (1994) Media Effects and Beyond: Culture, Socialisation and Lifestyles London.: Routledge, ISBN 0-415-09141-1
- Media Effects and Beyond by Karl Rosengren is an extremely useful text in relation to the topic of mobile communication and its effects on youth culture. Like a few of the referenced material above, this text, although relevant does not deal specifically with the topic of Mobile communication and its effects on youth culture, however, by sifting through the chapters and understanding the overall message, many of the issues addressed and covered can be put in the context of other research which, in turn, will lend itsself specifically to the research topic.
- This relevance can be seen in Part 3 of the text (Rosengren, 1994, p.133-83), these chapters link young people and media use. It touches on topics such as peer references, parents and schooling. In Chapter 9 'Media use and social mobility'(Rosengren, 1994, p.183), topics of social status, identity and sub cultures are addressed in relation to youth culture and the way they use mediato communication and to add value to their lives.
Vittachi, N. (2004)I'm not c%l w/ Dis @ all (I'm not cool with this at all), Hong Kong.: Far Eastern Ecenomic Review, Vol No.167, Issue No.21, pp.56, retrieved Aug 10,2004, from URL http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&sid=2&srchmode=1&vinst=PROD&fmt
- The article found on Pro quest, deals with the rising problem of children using moblie phones. Vittachi states that the spread of mobile phones to pre-teen kids is creating problems all over East-Asia (2004, p.56).
- He touches on the topics of peer presure and the need for a mobile phone and most importantly he talks about the dependence that the youth of today have on the mobile phone. Vittachi expresses his concern through his findings that, in South Korea, childern need a phone to eat and drink, they can point to a vending machine with their phone, press a few buttons and out comes a drink (2004, p.58).
- These sort of findings and articles provide current and relevant data for the research topic. They provide an interesting insight into other cultures and the age of mobile phone users.
Watson, P. Message Mistakes (2004), The Courier Mail: Today, Aug 3.,p.110
- This article is quite short but makes some very valid points that provide relevance to the topic of mobile communication and its effect on youth culture. The author is writing about mobile phone use particularly amongst the youth market and how the increasing number of faux texts are becomming more sinister and that the youth market has become prone to these because texting is a cheaper form of commmunication.
- In paragraph 14, May states that "schools and mobile phone companies should establish programs to help younger people cope with the social implications of mobile phone use". May stated this because according to his research there has been an increase of text bullying and unsolicited marketing campaigns.
- The findings of May's research also provides other areas of interest when researching the topic of mobile communication and its effect on youth culture.
Inga Tracey 21:57, 11 Aug 2004 (EST)
