Mobile Phone Addiction

Abstract

The use and the definition of mobile phone is undergoing reinterpretation as the mobile phone blurs the distinction between personal communicator and mass media. The mobile phone has become one of the most omnipresent communication devices within the past decade. According to Cohen and Lemish (2002), mobile phones used to be an esoteric device. Today, the mobile phone is certainly the most pervasive communicative device that people carry. The mobile phone can connect people “anytime”,“anywhere” and with “any body”, with the added benefit of mobility and portability. Especially in Korea, mobile phone use has proliferated since the first service was launched 15 years ago. In fact, Korea’s mobile phone penetration has reached at 66%1 (Ministry of Information and Communication, 2002) and Korea is one of the leading countries in the world in the areas of mobile phone use and technology. With the wide spread and high penetration of mobile phones, Koreans use the mobile phone literally at any time, anywhere and with anybody – from subways to restrooms. The rapid adoption of the mobile phone can be attributed to many factors, including increased portability, subsidized subscriptions, declining costs and added value-added services. No segment of Korean society is exempt from the mobile phone culture. Furthermore, mobile phone technology is becoming more advanced every year, especially in the Korean market. For example, new mobile telephone models are offered every 3 months from numerous manufacturers. Also, mobile phone users now can watch movies, play video games, listen to music, pay for goods and services and so forth. Hence the mobile telephone is “more than meets the eye”. 17