Framing the discourses of harm and loss: a case study of power relations, mobile phones, and children in Australia

The current penetration of mobile phones in Australia is 92% and it records one of the world’s highest rates of ownership among children under 18. The paper reviews the literature on mobile phones and Australian children and examines the various discourses dominating the public debates; the systematic frames used in these discourses; and whose interests are served in the process. The frames discussed fall under the optimistic (gains); pessimistic (losses, costs or harms); pluralistic (technology per se is neutral but how it is used matters); historical development (skills learnt and the importance of using mobiles); futuristic predictions (promises and dangers for the future); current uses (connectivity, convergence and interactivity); and the techno-realist view (as a mixed blessing) views of technology. Taking the critical perspective and borrowing from Joshua Meyrowitz, the paper illustrates how mobile phones have eroded parental power over how, when, where and with whom their children communicate, surpassing adult supervision, intervention or knowledge, while at the same time, becoming a ‘digital leash’ for parents to re-establish their control an d an ‘umbilical cord’ for their off spring to remain connect! ed with parents, at all times.

Mobile phones and children : an Australian perspective

Mobile phones in Australia record one of the world’s highest rates of ownership among children under 18. This paper examines issues of mobile phones and Australian children and the various discourses (systematic frames) used in discussing their effects. These are the optimistic (gains); pessimistic (losses, costs or harms); pluralistic (technology per se is neutral but how it is used matters); historical development (importance and skills learnt); futuristic predictions (promises and dangers); current uses (connectivity, convergence and interactivity); and techno-realist view (as a mixed blessing). Taking the Justification View of Technology that sees technological adoption as a gamble and borrowing from Joshua Meyrowitz, it examines how mobile phones have eroded parental power over how, when, where and with whom their children communicate, while at the same time, becoming a ‘digital leash’ for parents to re-establish their control and an ‘umbilical cord’ of children to remain connected with parents at all times.

Using mobile phones as placed resources for literacy learning in a remote Indigenous community in Australia

Despite massive funding from the Australian government, the literacy achievement of Australian Indigenous children remains significantly lower than for non-Indigenous. With the aim of identifying innovative ways to improve Indigenous children's literacy achievement, this study explored the social practices surrounding everyday mobile phone use by Indigenous people in a remote Australian community. Informed by the notion of ‘placed resources’, which highlights the understanding that digital literacies are best considered as resources situated by social practices that have local effect, the study surveyed 95 people living in a remote Indigenous community about their mobile phone practices. The study also examined a video of a literacy event between a mother and her child around the use of a mobile phone. The findings revealed the strong relational aspects of phone use in remote communities. Integral to the concept of placed resources is a respect for the practices communities find important as they adopt artefacts for their everyday communication.

Mobile phones as a learning device : is it time to stop the ban?

It is now time for teachers as well as colleges to make a place for mobile learning within the classroom setting. Teachers should be encouraged to integrate mobile phones for teaching and learning within the classroom, as they can be seen as an effective learning tool for students of all ages. We believe that mobile phone bans in colleges should be reviewed and reconsidered. This paper draws on some important aspects which mobile phones can bring into the classroom; it illustrates how mobile phones can fit seamlessly in a normal classroom environment; and the advantages that they provide. A possible integration method which encourages collaboration among students and teacher will be discussed and proposed.

2Loud? Monitoring traffic noise with mobile phones

The World Health Organization has recently focused attention on guidelines for night noise in urban areas, based on significant medical evidence of the adverse impacts of exposure to excessive traffic noise on health, especially caused by sleep disturbance. This includes serious illnesses, such as hypertension, arteriosclerosis and myocardial infarction. 2Loud? is a research project with the aim of developing and testing a mobile phone application to allow a community to monitor traffic noise in their environment, with focus on the night period and indoor measurement. Individuals, using mobile phones, provide data on characteristics of their dwellings and systematically record the level of noise inside their homes overnight. The records from multiple individuals are sent to a server, integrated into indicators and shared through mapping. The 2Loud? application is not designed to replace existing scientific measurements, but to add information which is currently not available. Noise measurements to assist the planning and management of traffic noise are normally carried out by designated technicians, using sophisticated equipment, and following specific guidelines for outdoors locations. This process provides very accurate records, however, for being a time consuming and expensive system, it results in a limited number of locations being surveyed and long time between updates. Moreover, scientific noise measurements do not survey inside dwellings. In this paper we present and discuss the participatory process proposed, and currently under implementation and test, to characterize the levels of exposure to traffic noise of residents living in the vicinity of highways in the City of Boroondara (Victoria, Australia) using the 2Loud? application.

Healthcare professionals’ use of mobile phones and the internet in clinical practice

Background: Over the last few years mobile phone applications have been designed for healthcare professionals. However, little is known in regards to healthcare professionals’ use of and attitudes towards using smartphones (and applications) within clinical practice. Thus the aims of the present study were to enumerate the number of healthcare professionals that use mobile phones within clinical practice and their attitudes towards using them. Furthermore, given that the internet preceded smartphones, we also established healthcare professionals’ attitudes towards internet use in clinical practice as a comparison.

Method: Forty-three healthcare professionals from a range of disciplines and specialities who were predominantly working in Australia completed an anonymous online survey. 

2Loud?: Community mapping of exposure to traffic noise with mobile phones

Abstract: Despite ample medical evidence of the adverse impacts of traffic noise on health, most policies for traffic noise management are arbitrary or incomplete, resulting in serious social and economic impacts. Surprisingly, there is limited information about citizen’s exposure to traffic noise worldwide. This paper presents the 2Loud? mobile phone application, developed and tested as a methodology to monitor, assess and map the level of exposure to traffic noise of citizens with focus on the night period and indoor locations, since sleep disturbance is one of the major triggers for ill health related to traffic noise. Based on a community participation experiment using the 2Loud? mobile phone application in a region close to freeways in Australia, the results of this research indicates a good level of accuracy for the noise monitoring by mobile phones and also demonstrates significant levels of indoor night exposure to traffic noise in the study area. The proposed methodology, through the data produced and the participatory process involved, can potentially assist in planning and management towards healthier urban environments.

Consumer views on the potential use of mobile phones for the delivery of weight-loss interventions

BACKGROUND: The surge in the incidence of obesity and being overweight demands new options to extend the reach of weight-loss interventions. Mobile phones provide a medium for reaching large numbers of people in a cost-effective manner. The present study aimed to explore the potential for weight-loss interventions to be delivered via mobile phone. METHODS: A mixed methods approach was employed. A telephone survey was conducted with 306 randomly selected participants, and 10 focus groups were undertaken with 54 purposively selected participants. The telephone survey comprised questions exploring the nature and acceptability of any potential weight-loss programme that might be delivered via mobile phones. The focus groups were conducted to explore issues of acceptability in more depth than was possible in the survey. RESULTS: Two-thirds of participants reported support for a mobile phone weight-loss intervention, with greater levels of support amongst younger age groups and rural Māori (the indigenous population in New Zealand). Participants liked the idea of ready access to weight-loss information, and associated feedback and encouragement. The results suggest that interventions would need to include aspects of social support, use tailored and personalised content, and be practical and relevant so that they appeal to consumers. Appropriate methods of providing social support using a mobile phone require further exploration. CONCLUSIONS: Mobile phones may provide a novel but acceptable way to deliver a weight-loss intervention. They have the potential to be automatically personalised and tailored to the needs of the individual, at the same time as being delivered at a population level.

Critical success factors in mobile communictions: a comparative roadmap for Germany and India

The world of telecommunications, especially mobile communications, continues to evolve with innovative technologies and high-speed data services. In many economies, mobile phones have overtaken fixed lines. In this dynamic context, we have envisaged to study mobile communication diffusion in Germany and India, from a historical comparative perspective. The basic standard for comparison has been Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM) and its data services, which was adopted by both economies. Subsequently, critical success factors in each economy is drawn and compared with the other, to elicit future directions.

A 'Mobile' technology and waiting for the broadband 'horse trade'

Webcasting in Australia is currently the domain of national broadcasters, independent and community radio stations and the two leading football codes. This paper reports on the findings of a content analysis of 20 leading webcasters as to the content and genres they provide. In examining the factors affecting the 'slow' adoption of webcasting in Australia such as the absence ofa high speed broadband infrastructure, the paper analyses and how its various discourses were framed by the parties concerned, and how the clash of conflicting agendas shaped the negotiations between the main stakeholders, taking on the characteristics of a 'horse trade '. Thereafter, the paper critically examines how other technologies such as mobile phones and Pay TV has begun to take on webcasting, instead of waitingfor the major commercial broadcasters to do so or a new broadband network and a national broadband strategy to be implemented.

Mobile payments (mPayments)- an exploratory study of emerging issues and future trends

With the growing momentum of wireless revolution and mCommerce explosion, it is evident that mobile devices are becoming a critical component of the new digital economy. As mobile markets continue to mature, being able to pay using the mobile handset will be key to the development of next generation services. The current market penetration of mobile phones in conjunction with the expected growth of mCommerce, offers high potential for mPayment growth over the next few years. When mobile phones are equipped with a device to protect personal information, the security level of an entire service, including the network, improves considerably. However, the mobile payments market today is typical of an emergent one, encumbered with an abundance of approaches and concepts that may not interoperate. In this paper, we have explored the broad range of available mPayment methods, emerging issues in standardization, security and some proposed/ existing solutions.