Mobile Phones Used by 6.7 Pct. of Japan's Fifth-Graders
July 3, 2001 (TOKYO) -- A survey on the ownership rates of cellular phones among pupils in Japan revealed that 6.7 percent of the fifth graders and 16.3 percent of second-year junior high school students have their own cellular phones.
The survey includes personal handyphone system (PHS) phone handsets.
Among those, 11.9 percent of the fifth graders with their own mobile phone bring it to school and the level increases to 41.3 percent for second-year students in junior high school (equivalent to eighth grade in the United States). For both age brackets, about three-fourths of the children depend on their parents for payment of the usage fee.
The ownership rates of home entertainment game machines are high regardless of age. The usage rates for Game Boy, Super Famicom and PlayStation were between 50 and 80 percent. Dreamcast, however, showed a lower rate of between six and seven percent.
The survey was conducted by the National Congress of Parents and Teachers Association of Japan among some 9,500 pupils in the fifth grade and eighth grade and their parents.
Survey Method
PTA of Japan held the survey in November 2000. It asked 59 secondary schools and 59 junior high schools (one each from the prefectures and cities specially designed by a government ordinance). The survey chose one class from the fifth grade and eighth grade of the primary schools and the junior high schools, respectively, and requested the pupils, students and their parents to answer questions.
A total of 9,540 persons were included in the survey with an average class scale of 40 students. Among them, 2,258 fifth graders (95.7 percent responding rate,) and 2,106 of their parents (89.2 percent) responded, while 2,089 eight graders (88,5 percent) and 1,964 of their parents (86.2 percent) responded.
(Shinya Sakaki, Nikkei Market Access) |
