How Youths Use Mobile Devices - Essay Example

Mоbilе сulturеs еssаy (Меdiа Соursе) Name Institution Introduction Mobile culture is a culture whereby people practice the use of mobile devices in almost all the activities. It is a culture whereby internet is used at a high rate, thus conducting things and activities easily. Technological advancement has played a major role in growth of the mobile culture (Bergh, DeNora, & Bergh, 2014, 317). Youths are the most affected people by the mobile culture whereby they use mobile devices to do different activities. There are different mobile devices used by youths and they include; smart phone, tablets, ipod touch, and laptops. This essay seeks to explore some responses from an interview conducted to a teenager regarding how youths use mobile devices. The essay compares the interview responses with some information from a literature discussing about youth and how they use their mobile devices in their daily lives. The essay winds up with a summary of the essay and recommendations regarding youth and use of mobile devices. According to the interviewee, mobile culture is a culture whereby people make use of mobile devices to connect to the social world through digital communication. The interviewee states that, this is a culture where people communicate freely over the internet and manage to reach people from different regions. It is apparent that mobile culture entails a culture where many things are done in motion or in mobile methods (Brown, Campbell, & Ling, 2011, 145). This is where things and activities are freely and conducted through mobile devices. Youths are the majority people in the global population to use mobile devices in their daily life. It is clear from the response of the interviewee that, majority of youths get their first cell phones when they are between 12 to 13 years. It is clear that, most of the mobile devices used by youths are smartphones because they are easier to use. It is apparent that, parents do not mind buying their children smartphones when they reach teen age in order to learn how to socialize with other people and to learn how to operate them early enough (Cortesi, Haduong, Gasser, Aricak, Saldaña, & Lerner, 2014, 34). It is apparent that even school going teenagers use their mobile devices while at school and when they are outside school where they communicate with schoolmates and relatives. There are different types of mobile devices used in the mobile culture globally. According to the interviewee, some of these mobile devices include; smartphone, ipod touch, tablets, and a laptop. It is apparent that, majority of youths have smartphones whereby they use them for communication and entertainment purposes. Nevertheless, majority of youths prefer using smartphone to computers, televisions, and tablet devices (Killackey, Anda, Gibbs, Alvarez-Jimenez, Thompson, Sun, & Baksheev, 2011, 80). It is apparent that, use of smartphone is cheaper and keeps one entertained and they are portable. Youths can move around with their smartphones even while at school and fail to be recognized because majority of smartphones are light and pocket able (Pelleg, Savenkov, & Agichtein, 2013, 7). Youths claim that they like using smartphones because they are common platforms for consumption of games, music, as well as television. There are some teenagers, who make use of the tablets, but they are in few numbers and they only use them in rare cases. The interviewee stated that he uses his mobile devices for communication purposes whereby they communicate with friends and relatives over the internet. He also uses his mobile devices to search for new and lost friends through the social media, such as tweeter and facebook, as well as chat. The interviewee uses the devices to watch movies, articles and programs, and to study academic things using his mobile devices. It is apparent from the literature that, majority of teenagers using mobile devices uses them for communication purposes. However, teenagers communicate amongst themselves using their smartphones and those in schools read academic material through the internet via their smartphones. It is clear that most teenagers have access to the internet whereby they socialize through the social media (Park, 2014, 24). However, messages are very common to youths when they use their mobile devices and this allows them to use their smartphones at any place without challenges. Some teenagers are fans of watching games, and movies and use of smartphones allows to them to have access to the movies and games of their choice. In some rare cases, teenagers use their mobile devices to watch news and get to understand the current affairs and issue happening regarding their nationality. Usage of mobile devices is accompanies with a number of benefits. According to the interviewee, some of the benefits of using mobile devices are; the mobile device makes life easier because one do not have to move to different places to meet people. It makes the world look small because one can read articles and news from all over the world when at home. It makes his studies easier and manageable because one can read different books and articles from the internet at wherever one is. It is apparent that, use of mobile devices makes communication easier not only for the teenagers, but for all people. It is clear that, communication through the internet do not determine the distance, but only availability of the sender and the receiver (Merchant, 2012, 771). However, use of smartphones enhances connection with relatives, friends, and the community in general (Madden, Lenhart, Cortesi, & Gasser, 2013, 30). The use of smartphones by the teenagers enables them to keep themselves more informed, as they share different occurring things with each other. It is apparent that most teenagers avoid getting involved in illegal and criminal activities because of being glued to their smartphones where they are busy chatting with friends and relatives (Lenhart, 2012, 11). Using smartphones, teenagers learn how to be independent while using mobile devices in their adulthood and they learn how to manage devices earlier enough to be responsible people. This makes the relationship between the teenagers and the parents to be strong as teenagers feel recognized once they are provided with mobile devices to use on their own. Usage of mobile devices is accompanied with some challenges and impacts to the user. According to the response of the interviewee, use of mobile devices is addictive especially when using social media to contact people. It might affect one’s performance in school because of diverting class concentration to the social world. It makes one lazy from looking for academic information elsewhere apart from reading information from the internet. Some of the challenges likely to affect people when using their mobile devices include addiction to the use of the internet, making people lazy and influences one’s concentration (Fitton, MacKenzie, Read, & Horton, 2013, 25). It becomes a challenge once a person loses the smartphone or any other mobile device because it is known to keep the teenagers busy and mentally occupied all the time. Sometimes, teenagers engage into the habit of shooting pictures anyhow and this might make them watch and be involved in pornography (Lenhart, 2012, 18). Majority of the teens quarrel with their parents, because they do not perform their household duties, as they are glued to their smartphomes texting their friends, and watching movies and games (Merchant, 2012, 775). The use of mobile devices makes teenagers to be highly dependents to use of the internet in most of their things, such as studies instead of going to the library to do research. This makes the teenagers lazy and it might affect their future lives, as it will not be possible to study from other sources. It is apparent that use of mobile devices might make a teenager engage into crime because social media has great influence among the teenagers (Lenhart, Ling, Campbell, & Purcell, 2010, 134). Once a teenager has criminal friends through the social media, one is likely to learn bad behaviour from peer pressure and practice it in life (Farman, 2012, 547). This might ruin the life of a young teenager just because of enjoying the use of smartphones and getting access to the internet to socialize with different people. It is apparent that, people do not feel normal when they are without mobile devices. This is because the devices keeps them informed and allows them to fit in the digital era. Usage of mobile devices might have some change in the future. According to the interviewee, use of mobile devices might take control of the world. This is because people do businesses using their mobile devices, students study through the mobile devices, and communication becomes easier and cheaper (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010, 54). According to how technology is advancing and making things to change at once, it is clear that, use of mobile devices might be a common and usual thing to all people. This might make the meaning of televisions and computers fail to be understood, as people will access everything they require about media and current issues from their smartphones (Ho, Tan, & Yeo, 2011, 89). However, use of smartphone might leads to studies becoming relevant if only turned into software because people are likely to forget the need of physical libraries where there are hard copies of articles, journals, and books. Nevertheless, in the future, teens might start applying for online courses where they study via their smartphones regardless the level of education (Bergh, et al. 2014, 317). However, technology development has made human life to be private and it is likely to be more private in the future, where people are likely to be operating all things while in the house without going to the schools, or at work places. The technology is highly likely to control the lives of human being because even cases are solved online. However, the use of mobile devices, especially the smartphone might become highly widespread even to the children who are below 10 years of age (Kamble 2014, 2). The mobile culture makes the market of the mobile devices to develop and advance because almost all people will be having smartphones among other mobile devices in the future. Conclusion Use of mobile devices among the teenager is very common and they use them in their daily lives regardless the place. It is clear that, majority of teenagers start using mobile devices, such as smartphones when they are at 12 years. Majority of teenagers like using smartphones because they feel they are comfortable to handle and use at any place and allows them to be informed as they communicate with friends. It is apparent that use of smartphone, allows teenagers to watch movies, games, and to text friends. It also enhances reading of articles and academic journals and books through the internet. Teenagers like using smartphones because it has easier access to the internet and this allows them to get connected to many people. However, smartphones usage is accompanied with some challenges and impacts to the use. It is apparent that it makes the user get addicted and become lazy of doing things outside online. The use of smartphones in the future might be highly advanced whereby people are likely to do their operations while at homes without movements. Reference Bergh, M., DeNora, T., & Bergh, M. (2014). Forever and ever: Mobile music in the life of young teens. The Oxford Handbook of Mobile Music Studies, 1, 317. Brown, K., Campbell, S. W., & Ling, R. (2011). Mobile phones bridging the digital divide for teens in the US?. Future Internet, 3(2), 144-158. Cortesi, S., Haduong, P., Gasser, U., Aricak, O. T., Saldaña, M., & Lerner, Z. (2014). Youth Perspectives on Tech in Schools: From Mobile Devices to Restrictions and Monitoring. Youth Perspectives on Tech in Schools: From Mobile Devices to Restrictions and Monitoring (January 15, 2014). Berkman Center Research Publication, (2014-3). Farman, J. (2012). Introduction to the Social Transformations from the Mobile Internet Special Issue. Future Internet, 4(2), 545-550. Fitton, D., MacKenzie, I. S., Read, J. C., & Horton, M. (2013). Exploring tilt-based text input for mobile devices with teenagers. In Proceedings of the 27th International BCS Human Computer Interaction Conference (p. 25). British Computer Society. Ho, E. M. S., Tan, S. C., & Yeo, K. K. L. (2011). The place of the handphone in teenagers' lives: understanding Singapore youth mobile culture by examining teenagers' use of the handphone for communication and co-ordination among peers. Kamble S. (2014). Youth and mobile media culture: Mobile phones youth and new communication culture. Retrieved from; http://www.academia.edu/6651487/Mobile_Media_and_Youth_Culture Killackey, E., Anda, A. L., Gibbs, M., Alvarez-Jimenez, M., Thompson, A., Sun, P., & Baksheev, G. N. (2011). Using internet enabled mobile devices and social networking technologies to promote exercise as an intervention for young first episode psychosis patients. BMC psychiatry, 11(1), 80. Lenhart, A. (2012). Teens, smartphones & texting. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Lenhart, A., Ling, R., Campbell, S., & Purcell, K. (2010). Teens and mobile phones: Text messaging explodes as teens embrace it as the centerpiece of their communication strategies with friends. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A., & Zickuhr, K. (2010). Social Media & Mobile Internet Use among Teens and Young Adults. Millennials. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Madden, M., Lenhart, A., Cortesi, S., & Gasser, U. (2013). Teens and mobile apps privacy. Pew Internet and American Life Project. Merchant, G. (2012). Mobile practices in everyday life: Popular digital technologies and schooling revisited. British Journal of Educational Technology, 43(5), 770-782. Park, Y. J. (2014). My whole world’s in my palm! The second-level divide of teenagers’ mobile use and skill. New Media & Society, 1461444813520302 Pelleg, D., Savenkov, D., & Agichtein, E. (2013). Touch Screens for Touchy Issues: Analysis of Accessing Sensitive Information from Mobile Devices. In ICWSM. Interview questions What is your name? ----- (name) Which age bracket do you fall in? ---- (13-15), or (16-19) √ How old were you when you got your first mobile device? 12 years What is your understanding about mobile culture? It is a culture where people use mobile devices to engage in social life. The culture where people communicate freely over the internet What types of mobile devices do you know? Which one(s) do you use? smartphones, laptops, tablets, and ipod touches. I use a smartphone and a tablet, but I prefer using my smartphone How do you use your mobile device(s)? Majorly I use them for communication with friends and relatives over the internet I also use them to look for new friends through the social media I use the devices to watch movies, articles and programs I also study things using my mobile devices. Are there recognized benefits of using mobile devices? explain. Yes. Use of mobile devices makes life easier because one does not have to move to different places to meet people. It makes the world look small because I can read articles and news from all over the world when at home. It makes my studies easier and manageable because I can read different books and articles from the internet at wherever I am. What challenges do you encounter when using you mobile device(s)? Use of mobile devices is addictive especially when using social media to contact people. It might affect one’s performance in school because of diverting class concentration to the social world. It makes one lazy from looking for academic information elsewhere apart from reading information from the internet How do you think the future of using mobile devices will be? Use of mobile devices might take control of the world. This is because people do businesses using their mobile devices, students study through the mobile devices, and communication becomes easier and cheaper. Read More