Teens Push Bar Higher for Telecommunications

 

The latest research indicates that cell phones are more important to teens than TVs or iPods, and they view their phones as social necessities. According to a Harris Poll of more than 2,000 American teens, 40 percent declared they "would die- without their phones. Now that"s saying something.

 

Teens set the bar for the future of cell phones, because they are not satisfied with the status quo of phones the way adults are. Unlike older generations, teens grew up with cell phones and do not know a world without them. They use them to chat, play games, go online, text message, and send photos to friends. But they want more. Fifty-seven percent said they would like to text their orders to restaurants. Forty-four percent would like to someday use their phones to vote. They really see no boundaries when it comes to mobile technology.

 

And boy, do they like texting. Forty-two percent say they can text blindfolded. Their rationale for texting rather than talking is that they can multitask, do it fast, do it in private, and not have to talk in person. So if they have something awkward or emotional to say, they can text it instead. And no one will overhear them.

 

 

If teens could have it their way, mobile technology would be "as thin as a piece of paper that can fold out to any desired size and project holographic 3D images,- says Harris Poll VP Joe Porus. They want to attend school and work anywhere in the world with mobile devices, and they want a movie theatre experience from their device.

 

In effect, the expectations of teenagers are what will drive the future of telecommunications. Adults keep up with the latest technology as it hits them, while the average teen has a sixth sense about operating telecommunications ... they intuitively understand new devices and are anxiously waiting for more.

 

To learn further statistics about teenagers and their desire for more of everything, visit the Trends / Tudes Newsletter at www.harrisinteractive.com.