The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) take seriously any claims of misuse of mobile telecommunications technology and is committed to promoting safe, responsible and affordable access to mobiles.

This week newspapers carried a report that said obsessed teenagers, who send hundreds of text messages a day, are at risk of physical and mental disorders. It said anxiety, insecurity, depression and low self-esteem have been identified by researchers as problems among “teenage SMS addicts”. The reports quoted new research undertaken by Jennie Carroll, a technology researcher at Melbourne’s RMIT University.

AMTA Chief Executive Officer, Chris Althaus, said: “Some people may be psychologically dependent on their mobiles, which can lead to misuse.

“We are committed to providing practical help to prevent misuse and promote responsible and affordable mobile telecommunications. For example, we promote tips for children and parents to tackle cyberbullying and we provide consumers with tools to monitor their spending to help them avoid running up unexpected high bills,” he said.

Mr Althaus said there is an important role for parents in supervising and monitoring their children’s use of mobile technology. They should have a clear policy in the home on mobile use. There are a range of tools provided by the industry to help parents, they include:

• Pre-paid mobiles
  
   
• Capped plans
  
   
• Online bill checking
  
   
• Spending alerts
  
   
• Limits on customers’ monthly billed amounts
  
   
• Consumer tips to help people manage their mobile phone spending

AMTA has also developed a template for a school policy on mobiles in the school environment which is provided to schools on request.

Mr Althaus said: “Phones offer security, safety and vital contacts for family, friends and work. It is understandable that people can feel ‘uncomfortable’ if they do not have their phone with them.”

Two years ago, Australia’s leading social scientists undertook the biggest study of its kind in Australia on work/life balance and mobile use:

“The Impact of the Mobile Phone on Work/Life Balance” Final Report - March 2008”

It found that 75% believed that carrying a mobile phone made them feel more secure; more than half believed the mobile helped their work/life balance and very few reported the mobile had a negative impact; nine in ten people reported that their lives could not “proceed as normal” if they were suddenly without their mobile.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in a 2007 study on media and communications in Australian families found the benefits of young people engaging with technology, including increasing their ability to engage with the digital economy. Other studies, including by Livingstone and Harper 2007, Tynes 2007, have found that most online communications appear to be positive with benefits significantly outweighing negatives and the importance of online communications and social networking as a tool for developing young people’s social relationships.

Young people use mobile technology in a different manner to adults, who tend to use it for functional purposes such as conducting business and balancing their busy work and family situations. According to ACMA’s 2007 report young people see their mobiles in a more social context and being a vital part of their social life and identity. Canadian anti-bullying educator, Bill Belsey, says mobiles represent status symbols for young people and are a part of their emerging image and identity among their peers.