Possession Or Obsession
Newcastle Herald
Thursday October 4, 2001
MOBILE phones have become an obsession among youth today and Irrawang High students are not immune to this.
Gone are the days when a mobile phone was used simply for communication in emergencies.
Now they are used to message friends, call others just to see what they are up to and play games ? often at the expense of parents footing the bill.
Students are bringing their phones to school, which at times can become a distraction.
This does not apply to all students but it does occur in most cases, as teenagers just cannot resist the temptation of sending messages and playing games.
Despite concerns about mobile phones causing cancer and tumours, teenagers are still buying them at an astounding rate.
Mobile phone sales are the highest ever as the technology evolves and the demand increases.
The percentage of mobile phone owners among teenagers seems to be increasing as students get older.
Some 30% of 12 to 13-year-olds have mobile phones, while an amazing 67%of 16 to 17-year-olds now carry them to school, along with their textbooks.
The amount of money spent on mobile phones for teenagers ranges between $10 and $100 a month.
This could be a result of the mobile being a portable way of communication or perhaps fashion.
© 2001 Newcastle Herald