ARLINGTON, Va.-Wireless technology has become an essential tool for many teenagers, according to a new study from the Consumer Electronics Association and KDA Research.
The study, “Youth Wireless Behaviors: An In-Depth Look,” allowed researches an in-depth perspective on their study group by using rich-media blogs over time. The research studied 36 young people between the ages of 10 and 19, who were asked to document their phone use and experiences during a week using private blogs. The documentation included daily tracking of minutes, online diaries of how and where phones were used, and notes on how phones were accessorized. Participants also were asked not to use wireless technology for a day, called No Phone Day, and document their reactions.
The research showed heavier use among those between 16 and 19 years old and the lightest usage among the 10- to 12-year-old category. The study also found that girls were more apt to personalize their phones than boys were.
“No Phone Day showed us as much, if not more, than the other days in this study, because we found just how important wireless phones are to these youths,” said Joseph Bates, CEA’s director of research. “The heaviest wireless phone users said they consider their phones to be indispensable. In fact, many expressed they felt lost without their phones during No Phone Day.”
The study’s respondents mainly used wireless for voice purposes, and the majority of calls were between one and five minutes long.
