MTA

Most researchers interested in the underlying factors of the growing impact of mobile phones on teenagers are surprised by the fact how well and easily they use their phones to communicate and to co-ordinate their lives. Teenagers even use text messaging to plan telephone calls. While reporting on the costs and benefits of using mobile phones for calling and text messaging is on the increase, less is known about why teenagers have adopted these so extensively.

The aim of our recent investigations was to shed light on the reasons behind the remarkable growth in this communication phenomenon. From a general point of view, the understanding why and how teenagers use this device will help us to predict what technology will be required by the adults of tomorrow. The very specific aim of our investigations was to test our hypothesis on one of the factors in the cognitive development underlying the ease of use of mobile phones - usually so complicated for adults.

According to our hypothesis one of the earliest developed cognitive abilities, that is procedural memory, may provide a particular background for the easy and seemingly skillful use of the mobile phones in children. Procedural memory is very prominent and robust in young children, while explicit memory does not begin until the age of 3-4 years, because certain parts of the brain (for example the hippocampus) have not finished developing. Thus, procedural memory is all the young children have. In children this memory type is one of the best functioning learning devices. Procedural memory does not involve conscious thought—for example, remembering how to drive a car, ride a bike, play the piano, or decode text. This memory is not the "what you know", it is about the "how".

Procedural memory test as well as computer based simulations were used to compare the performance of children and adults. Children of age between 10 and 14 years were investigated. The data have confirmed our hypothesis. The early development of one of the implicit strategies - procedural memory - may contribute to the better skills of children when using mobile phones. Though this is a remarkable benefit, we do not know how this implicit knowledge may help when explicit strategies should be used.

		*COMMUNICATIONS IN THE 21ST CENTURY* *The Mobile Information Society*
	NEW PERSPECTIVES ON 21ST-CENTURY COMMUNICATIONS Conference, May 24-25, 2002 Hungarian Academy of Sciences
	Valéria Csépe: *Children in the Mobile Information Society* *Cognitive Costs and Benefits* Abstract Most researchers interested in the underlying factors of the growing impact of mobile phones on teenagers are surprised by the fact how well and easily they use their phones to communicate and to co-ordinate their lives. Teenagers even use text messaging to plan telephone calls. While reporting on the costs and benefits of using mobile phones for calling and text messaging is on the increase, less is known about why teenagers have adopted these so extensively. The aim of our recent investigations was to shed light on the reasons behind the remarkable growth in this communication phenomenon. From a general point of view, the understanding why and how teenagers use this device will help us to predict what technology will be required by the adults of tomorrow. The very specific aim of our investigations was to test our hypothesis on one of the factors in the cognitive development underlying the ease of use of mobile phones - usually so complicated for adults. According to our hypothesis one of the earliest developed cognitive abilities, that is procedural memory, may provide a particular background for the easy and seemingly skillful use of the mobile phones in children. Procedural memory is very prominent and robust in young children, while explicit memory does not begin until the age of 3-4 years, because certain parts of the brain (for example the hippocampus) have not finished developing. Thus, procedural memory is all the young children have. In children this memory type is one of the best functioning learning devices. Procedural memory does not involve conscious thought—for example, remembering how to drive a car, ride a bike, play the piano, or decode text. This memory is not the "what you know", it is about the "how". Procedural memory test as well as computer based simulations were used to compare the performance of children and adults. Children of age between 10 and 14 years were investigated. The data have confirmed our hypothesis. The early development of one of the implicit strategies - procedural memory - may contribute to the better skills of children when using mobile phones. Though this is a remarkable benefit, we do not know how this implicit knowledge may help when explicit strategies should be used.