Although the impact of our findings are limited because our sample size was small (N=35), in this survey-based study, we have been able to gather normative data so as to examine emerging patterns of electronic communication in the 21st century in metropolitan New York. We suggest that levels of cellular telephones use may become relevant in health maintenance settings as a potential indicator of complex family lifestyles, anxiety, and patterns of interaction among family members.
Our data indicate that safety is a major concern for families who purchase cellular telephones for the children in the household.
We found that among survey respondents, the average age for first obtaining and using a cellular telephone is 15.3 years––close to the legal driving age in the United States. It is likely that, as children become increasingly independent and able to venture farther from home by themselves and with friends, parents feel their children are more secure if they have a cellular telephone.
Convenience was also cited as a major factor in heads of households' decisions to purchase cellular telephones for their children. We would suggest that this result might be a reflection of how complicated the lives of children and their parents have become, though our survey did not attempt to measure respondents' perceptions on this matter. Anecdotal evidence certainly suggests that parents find that cellular telephones facilitate scheduling flexibility in designating rendezvous points and times––and in organizing drop-offs and pickups for their children's activities. Cellular telephones, then, may allow adolescents greater access to available opportunities and responsibilities in their communities (eg, sports, extracurricular academic activities, part-time employment), while still permitting their parents full access to attend to their own opportunities and responsibilities.
The influence of perceived societal norms may also affect parent's decisions regarding their children's access to cellular telephones. For example, as noted, 7 (88%) of the survey respondents whose children own and use cellular telephones believe that their children's peers also own and use cellular telephones. An 11-year-old child who completed the survey (one of three children to do so) noted as fact that cellular telephones are a fashion accessory to be worn, even if the telephone's batteries are dead.
The combination of these three factors––safety, convenience, and perceived societal expectations––may explain why so many parents among our survey respondents (7, 88%) were willing to pay for the monthly expense of their children's cellular telephones.
Additional research is recommended to explore the use levels of cellular telephones among pediatric patients and their families and to determine how cellular telephone use relates to levels of stress in the household. Gathering similar normative data from other regions in the United States may provide more understanding of the psychosocial implications of this new and emerging communication paradigm.