Teen and Tween use of Wireless Handheld Devices

PRESENTED BY THE HORTONVILLE TEENANGELS

Teen and Tween use of Wireless Handheld Devices

Project Introduction

It seems that many teens and tweens carry some sort of a cell phone or handheld device.

What percentage of teens and tweens do carry a handheld device?

What applications are primarily used? How are these applications used?

Looking at Existing Research

Harvard study on handheld devices 2006 Looked at how handheld devices are used in college

courses. Made us wonder how handheld devices are used for

our own schoolwork/research. http://gseacademic.harvard.edu/~hdul/

AERA_2006_Dieterle_Dede.pdf

Looking at Existing Research

Poll: Teens Going Sex-Crazy in Cyberspace Suggested that 20% of teens had sent a nude or semi-

nude photo of themselves 40% have sent or posted sexual material Made us wonder about our own peers.

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/65462.html

Looking at Existing Research

Education Week – Students Turn Their Cell Phones On for Classroom Lessons Cell phones in the classroom can engage students Exciting to learn with cell phones Use them to text in a group or for Internet when there

is only one computer in a classroom. We wondered about the use of cellp hones for

schoolwork among our peers. (www.edweek.org)

Who Participated in Our Study?

507 Teens and Tweens Surveyed 18% 9-11 years of age 41% 12-13 years of age 24% 14-15 years of age 17% 16 or older

From different areas of the country Wisconsin New Jersey

Questions we asked

Demographic Information Please tell us your age: Please tell us the name of the city in which you live.

General Use Do you use a cell phone or other wireless handheld

device (iPhone, Blackberry, PDA)? Tell us about the device that you use. If you know the brand or specific name of the device

you use, please enter it here. How long have you used a wireless handheld device?

Questions we asked

Time on Device How many hours per week do you spend on text

messages? How many hours per week do talk on the cell? How many hours per week do use other apps (games,

camera, Internet) on the device? How many hours per week do use other apps (games,

camera, Internet) on the device?

Questions we asked

Time on Device On average, about how much time do you spend each

week browsing the web on your device? On average, about how much time do you spend each

week playing games on your device? On average, about how much time do you spend each

week using your device for schoolwork or research?

Questions we asked

Applications If you could run any application on your handheld,

what would it be and why? What "safe use" advice would you give to a younger

person who is new to using a handheld device? Is there anything else that you would like to share?

Open Ended Responses

Who do you most often text and why?What do you most often talk about?What is your favorite other app? Have you ever sent a photo and then decided it

was a bad idea? If so, tell us about that.Tell us about any of your favorite sites visited on

your handheld.Tell us about any of your favorite games on your

handheld. Tell us about what kind of schoolwork or

research you do on your handheld.

Findings

Do you use a cell phone or other wireless handheld device? 81% said yes 19% said no

Findings

Tell us about the device that you use. 91% cell phone 6.9% iPhone 2.8% Blackberry 2.3% PDA 19.7% Other

Responses included iPod, razr, PSP, MP3 Player

Findings

If you know the brand or specific name of the device you use, please enter it here. 307 responded

Varied greatly – Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericson

Findings

How long have you used a wireless handheld device? Less than 6 months – 22.3% 6 months to a year – 19.7% 1 to 2 years – 27.9% Over 2 years – 30.4%

Findings

How many hours per week do you spend on text messages? Less than 1 hour – 36.5% 1 to 5 hours – 33.3% 5 to 10 hours - 14.2% Over 10 hours – 16.3%

Who do you most often text and why? Friends Family

Findings

How many hours per week do talk on the cell? Less than 1 hour– 41.9% 1 to 5 hours – 40.2% 5 to 10 hours – 9.5% More than 10 hours – 8.7%

What do you most often talk about? Friend stuff (school, hanging out, where to meet,

gossip) Homework

Findings

How many hours per week do use other apps (games, camera, Internet) on the device? Less than 1 hour – 45.8% 1 to 5 hours – 29.2% 5 to 10 hours – 14.8% More than 10 hours – 10.5%

What is your favorite other app? Games Facebook Internet camera

Findings

On average, about how many photos do you send every week from your handheld device? 1 time per week – 18.7% 2-5 times per week – 19.2% 6-10 times – 9.5% More than 10 – 46% I don’t send photos – 46%

Have you ever sent a photo and then decided it was a bad idea? Most said no – they are very careful about what they

send.

Findings

On average, about how much time do you spend each week browsing the web on your device? 1 hour or less – 24.8% 2 to 5 hours – 12.5% 6 to 10 hours – 3.8% More than 10 hours – 2.6% I don’t browse the web – 56.6%

Tell us about any of your favorite sites visited on your handheld Google MySpace Web Mail YouTube

Findings

On average, about how much time do you spend each week playing games on your device? 1 hour or less – 37.6% 2 to 5 hours – 11.5% 6 to 10 hours – 2.8% More than 10 hours – 2.6% I don’t play games – 45.8%

Tell us about any of your favorite games on your handheld. Varied greatly

Pacman, Tetris, and Bejeweled were frequent – but many, many different responses.

Findings

On average, about how much time do you spend each week using your device for schoolwork or research? 1 hour or less – 28.1% 2 to 5 hours – 10% 6 to 10 hours - .8% More than 10 hours - .8% I don’t use it for schoolwork or research – 60.6%

Tell us about what kind of schoolwork or research you do on your handheld. Calculator was the most common response

Findings

If you could run any application on your handheld, what would it be and why? VideoChat Photobooth Rock Band Google Earth Safari

Findings

Time of Ownership by Age

Less than 6 Months

6 Months to 1 Year

1 to 2 Years Over 2 Years0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

9 to 1112 to 1314 to 1516 and older

Findings

Texting Time by Age

Less than 1 Hour Per

Week

1 to 5 Hours Per Week

5 to 10 Hours Per Week

Over 10 Hours Per

Week

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

9 to 1112 to 1314 to 1516 and older

Findings

Talking Time by Age

Less than 1 Hour Per

Week

1 to 5 Hours Per Week

5 to 10 Hours Per Week

Over 10 Hours Per Week

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

9 to 1112 to 1314 to 1516 and older

Findings

Time on Other Apps by Age

Less than 1 Hour Per

Week

1 to 5 Hours Per Week

5 to 10 Hours Per Week

Over 10 Hours Per

Week

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

9 to 1112 to 1314 to 1516 and older

Findings

What "safe use" advice would you give to a younger person who is new to using a handheld device? Know who you are talking to/texting Think before you send! Don’t use up your minutes!

Conclusions

Majority of teens and tweens use some sort of a handheld device.

We like to text!We are careful with the devices we use.We use these devices primarily to connect

and socialize with each other.We could better utilize these devices for

schoolwork/research!