|
Description
|
The opportunities associated with increasingly ubiquitous access to mobile technologies by the youth in Sub-Saharan Africa are widely understood, but unfortunately little to no quantitative data is available for this age group. While studies in the U.S. suggest that lower income groups make greater use of mobile technologies, little information is available about access to mobile media by the majority of youth in South Africa. A survey of low-income black South African youth at an urban township school suggests that a sweeping majority of respondents are very intense cell phone users, dwarfing usage of any other technology such as traditional computers.
The findings contradict some current assumptions about cell phone usage among low-income black South African youth, showing very high usage patterns and expenditures despite very low income levels. Detailed activity-based questions indicate that virtually all respondents (97%) were found to have used a cell phone on the previous day for at least one communication, information-seeking, gaming or multimedia activity. While only three-quarters were found to own a personal handset, there was no significant difference in usage patterns between owners and co-users. Large majorities of respondents were found to already use cell phones for activities with a potential for education, such as mobile Internet access (83% do so on a typical day) and gaming (53%). However, interpersonal communication remains the most common cell phone activity, with 91% of respondents making calls or sending SMS on a typical day. |
