As a high school teacher I am daily reminded of the importance of
social life and peer status among adolescents. I had been wondering
what purpose cell phones serve and the extent to which
students' attention and energy are spent on cell phones. This
work discusses the influence of cell phones on teen culture. It
explores the relationship between cell phones and perceived
popularity among teens as well as how cell phones influence
connectivity and social impact. An online focus group through a
weblog was used to explore the thoughts, feelings and experiences
that teens have regarding cell phones. The results from the focus
group showed that cell phones' overwhelming purpose is for
connectivity. While there were allusions during the online
discussion to other characteristics associated with popularity,
such as attractiveness and social deviance, it was evident that the
effects of cell phones on teen culture go much deeper than the
traditional characteristics associated with popularity. In using
cell phones, they have created cellspace, a whole new dimension for
themselves to interact with each other and the "real
world".
