THE MOBILE INTERNET: FAMILY AND SOCIETY Thursday October 30 th, 2008

Refers to access to the World Wide Web  Using mobile devices such as cell phones, PDAs, and other portable gadgets connected to a public network.  Mobile wireless modem, either integrated into a mobile phone or in an independent device  Does not require a desktop computer, nor a fixed landline connection.  Services on the Mobile Web can include capabilities that do not exist on the traditional Internet, such as SMS text messaging.

 The role of digital technology in families continues to grow  Increasingly younger consumers have become mobile phone users  The rise of family plans in some parts of the world and free phones with some packages  The increasing feeling among parents that they should be able to reach their children at any time of the day  The impact of advertising on television, internet and other forms of media that are readily available to children  Parents giving in to demands by their children to own mobile internet devices

 Teens and their parents often have similar technology profiles in the gadgets they use and the frequency with which they use them.  89% of online teens say the internet and other devices in their lives like cell phones, iPods, and digital cameras make their lives easier.  71% of their parents say these technologies make their lives easier.  The tech profile of parents and teens often mirror each other. Parents who use the internet frequently have teenage children who use the internet.

 Parents and spouses are using the internet and cell phones to create a “new connectedness” that builds on remote connections and shared internet experiences.  A majority of parents with online teens still believe the internet is a beneficial factor in their children’s lives.  There has been a decrease since 2004 in the number of parents who believe the internet is a good thing for their children.

 More parents are neutral about whether their children are positively affected by the internet.  In most families, internet use is a subject of family rule-making and discussion. The content of web material, more than the time spent online, gets the most parental intervention. Pew Internet & American Life Project Parents and Teens Survey, October-November surveyed 935 parents and youth in their families aged 12 to 17 years

Increase closeness in families via:  Cell phone and access  Text messaging  Families have access to information more easily and readily  Can do research and compare products online and purchase at the click of a button  Useful in today’s fast paced life and saves time

Educational advantages:  Research for school assignments  Homework posted online  Access to schools and students worldwide  Use of multimedia to teach  Access to advice and assistance in academics and family issues

Busy and tech-using families are less likely to share meals and less likely to report satisfaction with their leisure time.

 Easily reached by Advertisers - increasingly using the mobile Web as a platform to reach consumers.  Mobile advertising may not be viewed as helpful -- or even wanted.  Influencing spending and budgeting – purchasing items not really needed.  Effect on children – developing culture of consumerism.

 The ability of advertisers to reach out to children and interact with them through their cell phones has raised concerns from the perspective of consumers, and of course, parents.

 There be some rules - guidelines for the mobile space – when it comes to children.  The age issue in the mobile realm is in many ways an extension of concerns about protecting children on the Web.  We need more ways in which parents can regulate children’s mobile activities, such as the ability to turn off Internet access, filter Web content and block unwanted calls or text messages.