Attitudes towards Mobile Phones among Adolescents/Young Adults in Second and Third Cycle Schools in Oman

Abstract

Mobile phone ownership has experienced a rapid growth in the adult populatin of Oman since GSM technology was introduced in the country over a decade ago. However, due partly to the ever-decreasing cost of handsets and installation costs, coupled with the multiplicity of functions and features on mobile phones, the youth in Oman have embraced mobile phone technology in an unprecedented way compared to the ownership of fixed phones. There is a predominance of adolescents and young adults in Oman’s population structure, and this has resulted in a monumental growth of mobile phone ownership. Research conducted in different parts of the world has shown that youngsters are tredsetters in the mobile phone revolution and what it entails. Previous studies have documented and acknowledged the deep penetration of mobile phones in the region. However, there is a dearth of studies that have employed the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) paradigm, which is useful in soliciting psychosocial variables that could have a direct impact on marketing vis-à-vis understanding in the present context. The principal aim of this investigation, therefore, was to determine the demographic correlates of mobile owners among adolescents and young adults in schools and colleges/universities in Oman. The main findings were that the majority of students owned a phone, that most were on pre-paid accounts, and that there was a strong preference for utilizing the SMS function, the alarm clock and the translator. The latest brand of handset was deemed essential. Unlike studies from elsewhere, however, there was no indication of any detrimental effects of mobile phones among the target population in Oman. The family was also found to be central as far as destinations of the calls made by adolescents and young adults in the country. The family was found to be a moderating factor in some of the deviancy often associated with mobile phone use elsewhere.