Mobileborgs

Great article in today's SMH that confirms what we all know already - that the 88% of Aussies aged 16-28 own a mobilephone can't imagine life without them.

However, the rest of the article is nice discussion of the impact of mobile communication on society and how this mobile or "instant" generation communicate:

"But that rapid and comprehensive uptake has had an impact on our working and personal lives. For employees, the technology provides the flexibility to work away from conventional workplaces. Punctuality is no longer a problem, as meeting times can be shifted with a brief call or text message. Dinners or dates also can be arranged - and postponed - on the run and at short notice."

One interesting comment also comes from Dr John Beaton, of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, who says the mobile industry has yet to tackle the issue of ageing populations as users will increasingly demand handsets that are easy to use and have large buttons. Its good point - I've heard similiar complaints from an IT manager in an age care facility looking at VoIP handsets.

Tags: mobile social software