Cornered!
Cornered! is a blog devoted, most of the time anyway, to telecommunications: local and global issues, technology, people and trends from the perspective of someone who's been reporting, analysing and commenting on the industry since the dark ages (BC - before competition). Sometimes serious, sometimes flippant, sometimes frivolous. Controversial, analytical, informative, amusing, but never boring; a vehicle for examinations of important issues and observations on my encounters and experiences in an industry where polarised views and hyperbole are the norm.
Follow the Australian Telecommunications scene NEWSLETTER- FREE TRIAL

Blog

Technology news and Jobs arrow Cornered! arrow AMTA defends another assault on the cellphone industry
AMTA defends another assault on the cellphone industry E-mail
by Stuart Corner   
Monday, 19 February 2007
The Australia Institute has issued a research paper, accompanied by a media release, accusing the mobile phone industry of ramping up its marketing efforts to children, specifically the six to 13 year old age group.

The release quotes co-author, Christian Downie, saying: "This is another example of the pressures being put on young children to consume and to compete with their peers for expensive consumer goods from a young age. It is an ethos that is not only harmful to childhood development but, in the case of mobile phones, very costly. A leading Australian banker has labelled mobile phones 'a debt trap for our kids'."

Seems to me he is largely stating the obvious. Sure marketing to children in our society is way over the top. You see it everywhere all the time. Why single out the mobile phone industry?

In my view, the remarks would have been best left to pass without comment by the mobile industry. But no, the response from the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) was predictable and predictably swift - any news at all critical of its industry always provokes an immediate rejection.

This column has taken issue in the past with the rigour of AMTA's knee jerk responses to critical material. When a US study demonstrated that driving while on the phone increases the risk of accident to the same level as a blood alcohol level of 0.08, the legal limit in most US states, AMTA was swift to respond .

AMTA has done it again, rejecting the AI's claims saying "The overwhelming reason why parents buy mobile phones for their children is for safety and security reasons...An Australian Psychological Society study, which is quoted in the Australia Institute's study, found the main reason highlighted by both parents and adolescents for getting a mobile phone was for contact with parents and safety."

 
< Next story in category   Previous story in the category >
iTWire user statistics Visitors last 30 days
694,279
Subscribers 15,210
#1 independent technology news advertise here
  •   *  
  • Search
  • AdvSeach
  • Login
  • Events
  • FreeStuff

- Advertisement -

Featured Whitepapers

Cornered! - Telecoms blog
Cornered! is a blog on all things tele-communication from the perspective of one who has observed, analysed commented and reported on the industry since the dark ages (BC - before competition).
Follow iTWire on Twitter

About iTWire

iTWire is all about technology news, information, jobs and community for the IT and telecommunications industry professional. Subscribe to our free ICT daily newsletter