Youngsters ' addicted to phone '
The addiction of children to their
mobile phones could threaten the very fabric of
society, a study suggests. Many teenagers are
fanatical about being always available and are
extremely uneasy if unable to contact their
friends countless times each day. If the trend
continues, young people will soon be incapable of
forming and maintaining relationships without the
help of a mobile, the study by a leading
sociologist concludes. One British child in four
between the ages of five and 16 now has a mobile
phone. As well as making calls, youngsters are
using their handsets to send millions of text
messages to friends each day. The study's author,
Dr Hisao Ishii, said: 'Teenagers can be seen
taking advantage of every spare minute to touch
base with their friends. 'It is not the content of
the communication but the act of staying in
touch that matters.' And he warned: 'Genuine
conversation will be driven out by superficial
communication, in which the act of contacting
one another is all that matters, leading to a
deterioration in the quality of relationships.
Indeed, the very fabric of society may be
threatened.' Although Dr Ishii's research was based
on children in Japan, British experts confirmed
that the same trends apply in the UK. Child
psychologist Dr David Lewis said: 'The mobile
phone, like the Furby or the Rubik's Cube before
it, has developed into a playground craze in this
country. 'Children hate to feel as if they are not
in the "in group", and think that without a phone
they will be left out. 'It is like an electronic
tribal drum. Children use it to keep up to date
with a wide group of acquaintances, so that when
they meet up they know the latest news and
gossip.' Dr Lewis endorsed the warning that, in
conjunction with home computers and video games,
the mobile is having a detrimental effect on
children's social skills. 'The mobile now often
substitutes for physical play,' he explained. 'To
develop proper friendships you have to invest
time with people, doing things together. 'Speaking
on the phone and sending lots of text messages
will give children many more acquaintances but
fewer friends. They are replacing quality with
quantity.' Sociologists have also warned that the
popularity of e-mailing, text messaging and
playing games on mobile phones is affecting
other important activities such as recreational
reading and studying. A third of those aged
between 16 and 20 prefer text messaging to all
other means of written communication, according
to a survey last year by Mori for Vodafone.
Handset manufacturers claim, however, that they
are not out to market to the under-16s. A
Government report last year highlighted the
increased risk to children under 16 using mobile
handsets and a circular sent to schools suggests
that children below this age should be allowed to
make calls only in emergencies.
mobile phones could threaten the very fabric of
society, a study suggests. Many teenagers are
fanatical about being always available and are
extremely uneasy if unable to contact their
friends countless times each day. If the trend
continues, young people will soon be incapable of
forming and maintaining relationships without the
help of a mobile, the study by a leading
sociologist concludes. One British child in four
between the ages of five and 16 now has a mobile
phone. As well as making calls, youngsters are
using their handsets to send millions of text
messages to friends each day. The study's author,
Dr Hisao Ishii, said: 'Teenagers can be seen
taking advantage of every spare minute to touch
base with their friends. 'It is not the content of
the communication but the act of staying in
touch that matters.' And he warned: 'Genuine
conversation will be driven out by superficial
communication, in which the act of contacting
one another is all that matters, leading to a
deterioration in the quality of relationships.
Indeed, the very fabric of society may be
threatened.' Although Dr Ishii's research was based
on children in Japan, British experts confirmed
that the same trends apply in the UK. Child
psychologist Dr David Lewis said: 'The mobile
phone, like the Furby or the Rubik's Cube before
it, has developed into a playground craze in this
country. 'Children hate to feel as if they are not
in the "in group", and think that without a phone
they will be left out. 'It is like an electronic
tribal drum. Children use it to keep up to date
with a wide group of acquaintances, so that when
they meet up they know the latest news and
gossip.' Dr Lewis endorsed the warning that, in
conjunction with home computers and video games,
the mobile is having a detrimental effect on
children's social skills. 'The mobile now often
substitutes for physical play,' he explained. 'To
develop proper friendships you have to invest
time with people, doing things together. 'Speaking
on the phone and sending lots of text messages
will give children many more acquaintances but
fewer friends. They are replacing quality with
quantity.' Sociologists have also warned that the
popularity of e-mailing, text messaging and
playing games on mobile phones is affecting
other important activities such as recreational
reading and studying. A third of those aged
between 16 and 20 prefer text messaging to all
other means of written communication, according
to a survey last year by Mori for Vodafone.
Handset manufacturers claim, however, that they
are not out to market to the under-16s. A
Government report last year highlighted the
increased risk to children under 16 using mobile
handsets and a circular sent to schools suggests
that children below this age should be allowed to
make calls only in emergencies.
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