Behavior pattern of youth with their parents while using mobile phones

Transcription

1 1 Behavior Pattern of youth with their parents while using mobile phones 1. Irfan Ahmad Hakak Professional Assistant, University of Kashmir 2. Dr. Humaira Azim Sr. Assistant Professor, Institute of Home science, University of Kashmir & 3. Tahira Hassan M.sc Student, Extension & Communication, University of Kashmir Abstract: The growth of the mobile phone market is high in Kashmir& it is surpassing the growth of tablets, smart phones & personal computers. With the advent of Technology & increased usage of Cell Phones, many young people use this device as a communication & entertainment tool. The Cell Phone plays a crucial role in their life & they use it for variety of purposes & activities such as downloading, calling, listening music, Taking pictures & also in understanding how technology use impact young people& their learning, growth & social development which is critical for their health, well-being & for the welfare of the family. Growth of mobile phones in Kashmir & their popularity among young people is increasing rapidly.

2 2 Keywords:-Cell phones, Mobile phones, Youth, Parent Child Conflicts & Kashmir Introduction As mobile phone use has expanded so have concern about overuse of technology (Baron, 2010).Technology addiction has been a major concern since early 1990s (Xavier et.al, 2012). With the growing popularity of smart phones, mobile phones have become a phenomenon that has to be addressed with high priority (Val Hooper et.al, 2007). Mobile phone is not considered as luxury any more, it has become a necessary device & has become a part of life style for many youth (Macro, 2004).Its usage is spreading among the younger generation (Grimm, 2001) and has become a device for social connection & provokes reflective thinking on social life.although mobile phones are used extensively among youngsters &they are effectively using in a genuine manner (Ishfaq, 2011). Many youngsters consider it as a tool for creating an identity for themselves (Caronia et.al, 2004). While others agree that they use mobile phones to engage themselves during free time, there are individuals who fear that it is an obstacle for creativity (Gross, 2012). The adoption of the mobile phones by young people has been a global phenomenon in recent years. It is now an integral part of youth & is the most popular form of electronic communication (Camphell, 2005).Availability of broadband internet connection provides easy access to the information &knowledge resources, which are used by majority of youth. People use these devices in a variety of contexts while they originated as business tools (Aoki & Downes, 2003).With the cell phone use, users have access to phone mail,voic , movie guides& so on(aoki & Downes, 2003).Cell phone addiction has impact on family relationship also.there is controversy about the actual age when children first need a mobile phone. Mobile phones fulfill a need when child transitions from elementary to middle school & enters adolescence (Ling, 2003). Social networking is a current phenomenon that consists of both web-based communication with internet users & interaction with others via cell phones. It has

3 3 become common in today s society especially among adolescents & young adults & continues to grow in popularity (Drussell, 2012). With millions of teenagers on internet, millions of parents are trying to understand what their teens are doing & understanding how technology use impacts teens learning, growth & social development (Yardi& Bruckman, 2011).That is why parents use mobile phone to enter into their children space & are thus able to socially influence the children & exert a certain degree of control over them in public space (Ling, 2000). And set rules about young people s use of the mobile phones (Mathew, 2004). One of the most cited reason that parents want their children to have mobile phone is for safety(ling,2000). And understanding how technology use impacts youngsters learning, growth, & social development is critical for their heath & well-being & for the welfare of the family (Yardi & Bruckman, 2011). Despite of the positive benefits like using cell phone to connect/call family, friends etc. this also identifies the characteristics of those young adults at risk of developing an over involment with their cell phones (M& Vasantha, 2013).In majority of cases, negative effects are not limited to individual users, but are likely to influence their entire family (Sharaievska, 2012). Because of an increasing amount of mobile phone products in the market, the percentage of mobile phone ownership worldwide climbs very fast. With the fast speed development of technologies & the decreasing mobile phone price & services fees, many families could afford more than one mobile phones (zhu, nd). Social networking is a current phenomenon that consists of both web-based communication with internet users & interaction with others via cell phones. It has become common in today s society especially among adolescents & young adults & continues to grow in popularity (Drussell, 2012). Objectives

4 4 To examine the impact of mobile phone usage on parent-child relationship. To evaluate the mobile phone usage pattern on the substance dependence criteria & assess the adverse consequences of the mobile phone. Review of Literature A telephone is a simple two way communication device, capable of serving only few people at time. Looking at the definition of mass media, it is clear that a mass medium must communicate a message to a large group. However, modern cell phones are no longer a single use device (Hakak & Azim, 2015). Mobile phones & the internet have long been used primarily for purposes other than broadcasting but now cannot be overlooked also as media whose importance in the experiences of everyday life & in society continues to increase (Oksman Virpi, 2010). Today a cell phone isn t just a rich man s fashion accessory in India. It s transforming the way millions of people do business in a country where even landlines were a luxury barely a decade ago. Across the country people with low incomes are now adopting cellular phones as tools for enhancing business (Macro, 2004). In recent yrs, however several researchers started to turn attention to social aspects of cell phone diffusion & the impacts cell phones had on people s daily lives & relationships. Wireless devices such as cell phone, pagers & pocket PCs have gained popularity among wide variety of users (Aoki & Downes, 2003). According to the study by Palen, Salzman & Youngs (2000) people initially adopted cell phones for safety/security & business or job-related reasons instead of social reason. The study conducted at Pew Research Centre also revealed that majority of youngsters use cell phone for entertainment when they are bored. Also, quick retrieval of information & avoiding face to face interaction were the prime advantages for using mobile phone and around 42% agreed that they could not do some work due to non availability of mobile (Raman & Pramod, 2014). Many youngsters are depending on mobile device & the usage has been increasing rapidly ever since the penetration in the market in this millennium (as cited in

5 5 Macro, 2004). Mobile phones are primarily used for communication, but it has got several other instruments & expressive uses. For young people, the mobile phone is not simply an instrument for conveying information but a lifeline for managing social interaction (Baron, 2010). Youngsters consider it a de facto tool for identity building. It also enables social learning & act as diary to capture & store their personal details & life memories through text messages, videos (Stald, 2008). The newest generation of cell phones, third generation (3G) wireless systems, is not just for talking. Rather, this next generation increasingly provides multimedia messaging & direct internet access in addition to traditional voice communication services (Aoki & Downes, 2003). Although, the traditional phones were meant for audio calls, mobile phones today come heavily equipped with other features that allow communication & entertainment such as SMS, MMS, MP3 player, video games.they are known to be hugely popular among the youth (Balakrishnana & Raj, 2011). The young people access news on topics such as fashion, stock market performance or sports that represented their personal interests & which they shared with friends (as cited in Matanhelia, 2010). This is probably one of the reasons why online social networking tools such as twitter are becoming popular for news (Hakak & Azim, 2015). (Wei & Leung, 1999) examined the issue of social use of cell phones in public spaces. They found significant differences between users & non users of cell phones. Cell phone users were younger, wealthier & better educated than nonusers. The youth use the cell phone in different & unusual ways than the older users (as cited in Auter, 2007). These youngsters are spending huge amount of money these days on mobile phone (Oksman Virpi, 2010). Amount of money spend by male young adults on mobile phones in a month is more than that spend by female young adults. Money spends on cell phones by working adults is more than non-working adults (Akanfiri, Aziale & Asampana, 2014). Even the people from all ages can be seen using cell phones. However, the bulk of users are the young ones, who recharge their phones almost 3-4 times in a day (Oksman Virpi, 2010). If youngsters are unable to manage mobile usage in a right fashion, then it is certainly a cause of concern & a problem area (Raman & Pramod, 2014). Some

6 6 researchers have begun to probe how use of mobile affects people emotionally & socially (Baron, 2010). The intensive use of cell phones amongst youngsters, lead to over enthusiasm which results in need for counseling. Text messaging & phone calls were the most prominent reason for using mobile phone his study indicated that the addiction was attributed to using phone for text messaging & gaming (Griffiths, 2014). Mobile addiction can be seriously affected at the psychological level but as they don t show any physical symptoms their disorder goes unnoticed. They are the people with low self-esteem who have problem in developing social relations & feel the urge to be constantly connected & in contact with others (Torrecillas, 2007). Due to its addiction it tend to neglect important activities (like job or studies ) drift away from friend & close family & drive attention towards mobile phone constantly when they don t have it with them (Baron, 2010). Devis et al, (2000) studied the pattern of usage of new technology among school students. They concluded that boys spend more time on using mobile phone than girls do. Also, adolescents consume more time on using mobile phone on weekend than on casual week days. As cited in Smith it is presented that 87% of smart phone owners access the internet or on their handheld (i.e. Cell phones) including two third (68%) who do so on a typical day. Also, 25% of smart phone owners say that they mostly go online using their phone, rather than with a PC.This supports our assumption that smart phones replaced PCs as a mean of access to the internet.(m & Vasantha, 2012) Technology has changed the fabric of teens home & social lives, but it has also dramatically changed the lives of parents. Teens are early adopters & heavy users of technology, especially in developed countries where access has grown rapidly in recent yrs (Livingstone, 2008). Parents tell that they have struggled to understand what their children are doing with technology & why & how to set rules & boundaries for effective parenting (Yardi & Bruckman, 2011). Parents expressed concern over controlling their children s computer & internet use & take action to limit time, kinds of use, & location (Brush, 2007). It was interesting to note that they are few common family rules about young people s use of the mobile phone. In fact, 58% of adolescents reported that there are no rules set by their parents about their mobile phone use & only 12% reported that their parents used removal

7 7 of their phones as punishment (Netsafe, 2005). Probably because of the sleeping issue it has been found that the most common rules set by parents were that 56% of the children have to leave their mobile phones out of their rooms at night whereas, 10% of young people also reported that their parents frequently ask them to stop using their mobile phone late at night which was the most disagreement between them & their parents (Mathews, 2004). In addition there are issues of financial disputes in families over mobile phone payments (Yardi & Bruckman, 2011). Therefore within the family the adoption of the mobile phone has meant changes in power & control in the parent child relationship because of increased freedom as well as more micro coordination of daily life. Thus there seem to be negative impact of mobile phone on family relationship. Mesch reported characteristics of intergenerational conflicts focusing on teens at home including issues of privacy(yardi & Bruckman, 2011). Byrne& (2011) found that communicative styles & parenting style predicted disagreements between parents & children about internet risk prevention strategies especially when children felt it is hard to talk to their parents about internet use, they tend to disagree more with their parents about internet prevention strategies. One reason tensions in parent-teen relationship develops because they disagree about how much & what kind of autonomy teens should have & how much authority parents should have (Yardi & Bruckman, 2011). Effective parenting requires a balance between parents authority & children agency in their own lives. Over restriction can lead to psychological reactance in which children feel their behavior is being threatened & respond in their opposite direction or by circumventing the restriction (Brehm, 1981). Parents are one of the main group that adolescent tend to communicate with using mobile phones (as cited in Lenhart, Ling, Camphell &Purcell, 2010). Cell phones provide parents with an important opportunity to oversee the daily activities of their teens. Even when parents are separated from their teen in proximity, they are able to still offer psychological & behavioral control as well as support to their children through the use of mobile calling & text messaging (Weisskirch, 2009)

8 8. Methodology:- The present study was undertaken to find out Cell phone usage by young adults in Kashmir between the age group of Material & Methods:- A questionnaire which consists of 1 section related to the study was used that includes Parent/child conflicts regarding cell phone usage. Data Collection:- The instrument for data collection in the form of survey consists of 8-item close ended questions; each question was either multiple choices or with yes or no answer. Sample Technique:- The data gathered among 50 respondents were taken purposively from various areas of Srinagar. The Sampling method applied was convenience sampling. The respondents engaged in this survey were under graduate & Post graduate students. Primary Data:-Comprising of the information collected by questionnaire. Secondary Data: - It includes information obtained from books, journals & magazines.

9 9 1. Parent/child conflicts 1.1 Changed dynamics in family:- Fig.1.1 Agree 86% Disagree 14% In Fig 1.1 it is revealed that excessive exposure to tremendous technology made 86% of the respondents agree that mobile phone has led to changed dynamics in the family issues where as 14% of respondents disagree with it.

10 Changing sleeping pattern:- Fig % 42% Yes No Data presented in Fig.1.2 reveals that 58% of adults agree that their family believe they have changed or scarified their sleep in order to spend time on their mobile phones while as 42% of them disagree with this statement.

11 Parents should monitor cell phone usage:- Table 1.3 Reasons Young people can go into wrong direction Young people use cell phones to pursue romantic relationship All the above None of the above Responses Table 1.3 Reveals that 12 respondents agree that parents should monitor cell phone because young people can go into wrong direction, 1 respondent agree that young people use cell phone to pursue romantic relationship, 37 respondents agree with all of above.

12 Cell phone usage for poor performance in studies:- Fig % Yes 72% No Fig.1.4 reveals that 28% of adults believe that their parents blame cell phone usage for poor performance in studies, 72% of adults don t agree with this.

13 Do parents know who you talk to online:- Fig % 22% Yes Somewhat 14% Mostly Not at all 32% The above Fig 1.5 shows that 32% of adults feel that their parents mostly know who they are talking to online on their cell phones, & 30% of respondents feel that their parents not at all know & 22% of respondents feel that their parents know whereas 14% of respondents feel that their parents somewhat know who they are talking to online.

14 How often cell phone is used to talk to parents:- Fig % 12% 20% All the time Most of time Sometime Rarely 48% Fig 1.6 indicates that majority of the respondents i.e. 48% use their cell phones for some time to talk to their parents 20% use for most of the time & equal percent use their cell phones rarely to talk to their parents whereas 12% of respondents use their cell phones to talk to their parents all the time.

15 Maintain close relationship:- Fig.1.7 4% 4% 20% 12% 60% Friends Parents Siblings Relatives All of above Fig.1.7 reveals that 60% of respondents believe that their cell phone help them to maintain a close relationship with their friends, 20% believe that their cell phone help them to maintain a close relationship with their relatives 12% of respondents believe that it help them to maintain a close relationship with their parents, & 4% of respondents believe that their cell phone help them to maintain a close relationship with their siblings, whereas 4% of respondents believe that cell phone help them to maintain a close relationship with all of above.

16 Rules regarding cell phone usage:- Table 1.8 Reasons Do not talk on your cell phone late night Do not spend too much time on your cell phone Your cell phone bill should not go over certain limits Do not use cell phone when you are studying for your exams No rules All the rules Responses Table 1.8 indicates that there are certain rules imposed by family regarding cell phone usage. Like 8 respondents agree they aren t allowed to talk on their cell phones late night, 13 respondents have rule not to spend too much time on cell phone, 1 of the respondent said their parents don t want their cell phone bill to go over certain limits, 6 respondents don t use their cell phones when they are studying for exams. Further than this, 19 respondents said they don t have any rules imposed by family regarding cell phone usage whereas only 3 respondents said they have all the rules.

17 17 Conclusion Based on the findings of this study it is concluded that majority of the youth agree that mobile phone has led to changed dynamics in the family issues. But higher percentages of the respondents also agree that they don t consider cell phone usage for poor performance in their studies. And most of respondents believe that they have changed or scarified their sleep in order to spend time on cell phones. Most of them agree that parents should monitor cell phone usage because young adults can go into wrong direction or may pursue romantic relationship. There are some respondents whose parents mostly know who they are talking to online on their cell phones. It was also concluded that cell phone helps majority of the respondents i.e. 60% to maintain close relationship with their friends. And regarding restrictions & rules put on cell phone usage (19) respondents agree that there are no rules regarding their cell phone usage but (13) respondents have rule not to spend too much time on cell phones further than this (8) respondents have rules regarding talking late on their cell phones And (3) respondents are having all the rules regarding cell phone usage.

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