Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Sorry Teacher, I've Got To Take This

Many a time I have been interrupted by students who I find texting on their cell phones to their parents or friends and it doesn't matter the age in Korea. Kindergarten on up. True story. Some bug eyed youth are so accustomed to answering and sending texts, or phone calls, I am sometimes not even asked if the contacted student can take the call, they just do it. Unreal. So it is for the teacher in this age.

This is especially true for teenage students who, as reported by the Korean Times, send over 9,000 texts a year- 25 a day.  Just last night as I left the classroom to use the copier, students were quick to whip out their phones and unconsciously return texts or play games on their phone if they weren't talking with a fellow classmate.  A fascinating article from the Korean Times on the prevalence of cell phone use among youth as compared to Japan, Mexico, India, and China is posted below. Taking away though is no mention of the name of the study that compared the 5 countries. Nonetheless some highlights;

"Mobile phones have become arguably the most important electronic device for young people in South Korea, with nearly 90 percent of children owning a handset by the time they reach the age of 12, a report said."

Something very telling about Korea - "When picking handsets, Korean teenagers considered design and capability first, while Chinese users were concerned most about voice quality. Indian teenagers were moved most by battery power, while Japanese users seemed rather indifferent about the brands of handset makers and wireless operators, the report said."