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Full disclosure: Harris Interactive is a Ypulse Research sponsor.

The latest edition of Harris Interactive’s newsletter “Trends and Tudes” takes on the topic of mobile technology and the role it currently plays in teens’ lives. While the findings are not exactly surprising (basically teens can’t live without their cell phones), it’s always interesting to hear the situation laid out. What I personally found the most interesting were observations about the non-entertainment aspects of mobile that the newsletter touched on…

Security – 57 percent of teens say that a phone has improved the quality of their lives, most prominently by providing a sense of security on-the-go. It serves as a crucial tool in finding a ride (79 percent), retrieving information (51%), or helping someone in need (35 percent). 74 percent think having an emergency transmitter on their phone would be useful.

Privacy – 41 percent of teens worry about privacy and security issues with their mobile phone. 36% hate the idea of developing a phone with a GPS mobile feature for pinpointing their location (I’m guessing the concern is rooted in parents being able to find them whenever and wherever). 58% say the ideal mobile device would contain a privacy screen to prevent others from viewing their interactions (interesting to note the clear distinction teens draw between socializing meant for display i.e. wall posts, and that meant to be kept private i.e. text messages and IMs).

Service – Teens are open to the possibility of using mobile for practically anything and everything that would make their lives easier. 57 percent say they would text their order to a restaurant some of the time if it was an option. 67 percent would like to be able to translate any language at any time on their phone (sounds like an awesome app to me) and two in five teens would like to someday like to use their phones to vote (this seems like a much less remote possibility after this last election).

The takeaway? It’s been said before and it’ll be said again that mobile is the next big thing. However, it’s important to remember that this doesn’t just mean for fun and games (of course, that does play a big part). Even for teens, entertainment is just one of the factors ensuring that this technology will continue to play an integral role in all of our lives.

Sorta Related:
Safety device or just a must-have gizmo? The parent’s dilemma over pre-teen mobile (Times Online)

For more coverage of the latest trends and developments in mobile technology for youth, check out the Ypulse Mobile Channel.

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Categorized under: Mobile

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