Young Kiwis highly connected
The Press
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Cellphones are trouncing cigarettes for well-connected young Kiwis.
A "flagship" Unicef report, The State of the World's Children, rates New Zealand's 15 to 24-year-olds among the best-connected with cellphones and the internet.
There were 94 cellphone owners and 79 internet users per 100 Kiwis aged between 15 and 24, the report said.
In many countries, including Portugal (116 per 100), Qatar (110) and Sweden (106), young people had more than one cellphone.
The average for the industrialised world was 93 cellphones and 59 internet connections per 100 young people.
Research suggests cellphones could be replacing cigarettes in popularity among young people.
A boom in cellphone ownership has coincided with a steady decline in cigarette use by young people since the mid-1990s.
More than 80 per cent of New Zealand teenagers are non-smokers, and the number of youths who have never tried cigarettes continues to climb.
British experts believe cellphones have replaced many of the social mechanisms cigarettes previously offered young people.
Vodafone New Zealand spokesman Paul Brislen said the cost of cellphones would take up more of a typical young person's disposable income.
"The disposable income moves around and these days it's far more important to them to have the latest phone with all the music on it than it is to have something else going on," he said. "It's a social status symbol."
The Apple iPhone, released last year, was "not a cheap handset".
"It's a mini-computer in many respects, and yet for the kids it's basically the ultimate status symbol," Brislen said.
Kiwi users were more willing to try new things with their cellphones, and young people often led the way.
Christchurch teenagers Sinomi Hood, 15, Brooke (she did not want to give her last name), 14, and Sam Fairs, 16, blended their technology, each carrying their own cellphones, iPods and MP3 players. Fairs had both a Bebo and a Facebook page.
Brislen said: "Rather than just using text, we've got a huge amount of interest in things like downloading music using your mobile phone and social media things like Facebook and Twitter using your mobile phone."
Youth-oriented content dominated the growing music and television media being delivered to cellphones.
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I'm with #1 - yes the stats are used potentially misleadingly (yes there is a difference between X number of something per 100 and X number of owners of something per 100). Anyhow, what I'm also intrigued by is:
"There were 94 cellphone owners and 79 internet users per 100 Kiwis aged between 15 and 24, the report said."
What defines an internet user? I would be surprised if only 79% of people in that age bracket used the internet. Further on the article mentions an "internet connection"; so does that mean access to an internet connection or does it mean access to a connection and actual use of that connection on a regular basis or does it mean owning a device and a connection?
I agree with both sides. When common sense is applied, the actual meaning is quite clear. However, the idea could have been worded more effectively. You should be able to read the paragraphs individually and have them make sense.
The funny thing is it states 94 cell phone owners, not 94 phones owned by the 100 individuals. So if Anna and Phineus are reading on from that point how can you say it clearly states 116 phones owned per 100 people??
I don't wish to be torn apart like Perdita, but are these kids carrying both an iPod AND anonther mp3 player? "...each carrying their own cellphones, iPods and MP3 players."
Perdita, you're a goober. Everyone knows that Kiwis already have more than one phone per person... why shouldn't Portugal?
Wow. Comparing cell phone usage and cigarette smoking? I think I just got dumber.
Teens now have another use for their fingers! Don't have enuf hands to hold a ciggie, 2 cellphones, ipod etc!
Actually, as written, it's inaccurate. Here's why:
"There were 94 cellphone owners ... per 100 Kiwis aged between 15 and 24 ... Portugal (116 per 100)"
116 what? Well, one reads back and sees the subject is "cellphone owners". 100 what? "kiwis aged between 15 and 24".
Now, I'll concede that the Portugal number is "Portugese" not "Kiwi" but as written, the article clearly says that there were 116 cellphone *owners* per 100 Portugese between 15 and 24.
But one has to be pretty pedantic to mention it.
You Silly Billy Perdita, your hilarious.
How are cellphone and cigarette usage related? They are hardly substitutes...
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Your technology reporters worry me. Really interesting article, but I am concerned that someone reporting on technology doesn't seem to know that an iPod IS an MP3 player. If only I could draw you a Venn diagram.