On the ball.
It’s always nice to get some kind of confirmation that you’re heading for something good. That my senses aren’t way off and that what I’m doing might even be useful in a way. Let me explain.
As you may or may not know, I am doing a graduation project. When I started I had no idea I would be heading for a social interaction tool to be used in education, but hey, there you go. And to find an article in the “newspaper” - metro, wish I could find an online source of this article - , while evaluating the result from my little three-week qualitative reseach with fourteen twelve year olds in a school for media and arts, about the European Commission starting an investigation whether mobile phones are good for our children.
An investigation was launched yesterday into the social risks mobile phones pose to children. The European Commission is assessing the dangers of abusive messaging, high call costs and uncensored Web access. Nearly three quarters of 12 and 13-year-olds in Europe have mobiles, said a spokesman. He added:’The protection of minors needs to be guaranteed.’
-Metro.
I’m sure I’m extra sensitive about all this kind of news right now, but it seems ’society’ is now picking up on the negative side-effects. I understand where the fear is coming from. Mobile phones and inconsiderate, inappropriate, interruptive, anti-social behaviour, Internet and social networking using myspace and helio, narrowcasting using youtube, seemetv and google idols, porn, inspired by television programs such as jack-ass and dirty sanchez… well.. put all this together and you have tomorrow’s mass market mobile community.. looking good? I didn’t think so.
So it’s time for a positive approach. Mobile life is good, and the mobile devices of tomorrow are making it even better. All it needs is a bit of education in social awareness issues, less belittling, more practical use, better integrated and accepted.
