Priyanka Matanhelia’s Research Blog on Mobile Phone Usage Amongst Youth

Several people have been inquiring me about some useful web resources on Indian mobile sector. Here is a list of websites I have found useful. I will keep adding to it as and when I find more websites.

1. Internet & Mobile Association of India : This website provides information about internet and mobile industry in India.

2. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India : Indian government’s website on internet and mobile industry related consultation papers and press releases.

3. Cellular Operators Association of India : Latest information on the Indian mobile sector.

If you know of any comprehensive website that provides information on India’s internet and mobile sector, do let me know.

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I usually light a candle before I sit down for my meditation. Yesterday, while lighting the candle I had a very unusual thought. When, I lit the candle, I had to protect the flame initially otherwise it would have died. But once the flame was stronger, it kept on glowing despite the blowing air (from my table fan). It flickered several times but continued to glow.

In that moment, I realized, how similar the destiny of the flame was to our own lives. When we were young our parents nurtured and protected us and then they let us go - to glow. It is only our determination to keep glowing that sees us through and focus deepens our experience.

The main purpose of acquiring knowledge is to illuminate and not to accumulate.  The more a flame is ready to burn, the stronger its glow.

SMSGupshup is a twitter like service in India, except that it is entirely supported by mobile platforms. “Gupshup’ is a hindi term for “chitchat”. SMSGupshup allows its members to exchange group messages from their mobile phones. The members do not need to go to web to open an account or participate in conversations. Since it’s launch in April 2007, the service has seen a phenomenal growth in terms of subscribers. In October 2008, the service had 12 million users and about 500 thousand communities. Last month, Michael Arrington on TechCrunch reported that the service has been adopted by 20 million users and has generated about $150,000 per month in revenue. Arrington interviewed Beerud Sheth, the founder of SMSGupshup who said that about 400 million text messages per month are exchanged by SMSGupshup users. The revenue earned by the service is through in-text advertising added four months ago.

Anand Rajaraman has a nice comparison of SMSGupshup with Twitter on his blog.

If you have used the service let me know what your experience has been. If you have any statistics related to its user profile, let me know. I will appreciate it.

Sandbox.com is a web and mobile portal developed by Filipinos for online social networking, media content sharing and other web services. The users can chat, send email, watch TV. The cost of any downloaded product is charged to the mobile prepaid card, hence there is no need to enter credit card details. Sandbox also has an online retail portal where users can do shopping.

Source: Internet comes within earshot by Kenneth Del Rosario

In the past few days, the online world - blogosphere, twitterverse and mainstream media - has been abuzz with the role of twitter in Iran revolution. The basic question that has emerged is - What is the role of twitter in the ongoing protests in Iran? Should Twitter be seen as a reporting tool or as an activism tool?

What happened during Iran elections?

The re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran has angered the supporters of reformist challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi who are now disputing the election results. The Iran government led by Ahmadinejad has blocked traditional media outlets to restrict the information against his regime. The supporters of Mousavi, therefore, are using social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to spread information, organize and collaborate.

How are the protestors using Twitter in Iran election?

There are several twitter accounts that are being used by protestors in Iran to spread information such as mousavi1388 (as reported in NYT), loftan.org besides others.

Understanding the role of Twitter

I think Twitter is being used both to spread information (as a media platform) and to organize and collaborate (as an activism platform). To think of it as performing only one of these roles would be a mistake. Because when twitter is used as a tool by activists / protestors themselves to spread information or to urge to keep on the fight it becomes a tool for both reporting and activism. People on twitter who changed their location to Tehran would also be seen as supporting the cause of protestors.

What is debatable is how big a role twitter plays in such political protests? Here, I think twitter is a tool like many others (online and offline tools) which the activists may be using during such campaigns. Therefore, to accord Twitter a highly significant status may not be a good idea. Because in developing countries, such as Iran there are many people who still don’t have access to social media and those who have may not be sophisticated users of technology.

However, the crucial role of twitter may not be neglected in such political campaigns, because the key people (organizers) in such protests are sophisticated users of Internet. They also know how important it is to have the support of international community during such protests.

Therefore, I think Twitter should be seen as both media tool as well as activism platform. Even so for reporting and activism during such protests, Twitter should be seen as one tool among many. What is also important is to understand the use of twitter by protestors within Iran to share and collaborate with each other and to reach out to international community outside Iran with information/ and for support during such protests.

Some additional links on Twitter in Iran revolution -

1. Social networks spread defiance online by Brad Stone and Noam Cohen

2. Tweeting Iran: Elex news in 140 characters or less by Rebecca Santana

3. Where is my Vote? : Iranians organize online by Mary Joyce

4. The Irony of Iran’s Twitter revolution? by Gaurav Mishra

5. More on Twitter and Protests in Tehran by Evgeny Morozov

6. Tear down this cyberwall by Nicholas D. Kristof

7. Media Literacy 101: “Allah O Akbar!” has become a cry for freedom by Susan Moeller

8. Media Literacy 101: Cloak- and - dagger news by Susan Moeller

9. America’s Iranian Twitter revolution by Maximillan Forte

10. Is Twitter really a tool for democracy? by Elizabeth Lazar

11. Iran, citizen media and media attention by Ethan Zuckerman

12. Twitter on the Barricades in Iran: Six lessons learned by Noam Cohen

An Australian mom has launched a social networking website for kids aged 8 - 12 years old. On realizing that she wanted a safe social networking website for her daughters aged 7 and 9 years old, she came up with the idea and contracted a Brisbane technology company to design the website. The website membership is free for first month, after which there is a membership fee.

Upon joining, the kids can choose one of the 10 native Australian animals as their avatar and one of the five houses as their residence. They start with 100 “ekidna gold nuggets” which they can use to dress up their avatars and decorate their houses. The kids have to maintain their own gardens and can trade-in their plants for in-game cash. It appears that kids can learn something about managing finances!!!

The built-in chats are monitored for foul languages and the safety feature includes parents entering a password everytime the child makes a new friend and no one can send out links. Also there is no advertising.

Sounds interesting and safe computer fun for kids!!!

Here are the links for the eKidnaworld.com and a detailed article about the website.

Last night I went out to dinner with a twenty-something Indian friend who is making her first commercial feature film. We went to a new Mexican restaurant which both of us hadn’t tried before. Despite being a Saturday night, there were very few people in the restaurant. Has recession really scared people from going out? We had a nice corner table in an alcove, which meant we had both the outside view and inside view. It was a nice balmy evening and the conversation flowed. As it always does when two single women get together. Surprisingly, it was not about men or relationships. She told me all about her adventures while making her first film in Kannada but set in USA. I quite enjoyed listening to her about her shooting schedules, organizing props, dealing with actors and other professionals. Sometimes it’s the VISA issues, others it is the actor’s dates, something or the other has cropped up and delayed her film but she is still holding on as excited as ever about her first film. What is most striking about her is that she is a multi-talented person, but very unassuming. She has co-written the screenplay, directing the film and the dances, doing the costumes and also editing her film besides other problems.

The story about how she got into filmmaking is most interesting. Although she always wanted to make a film, she didn’t know when. One day she was at her office working and she said, she realised that she wanted to jump out of the window. That’s when she quit her job, moved to her parents’ place, started writing her first film, organized the finances and now directing her first feature film. I believe she is probably the youngest woman film directors in India.

I think when people are passionate about something, they just find a way to do it and the struggles do not overpower their pursuit.

They say after every end there is a beginning. According to Hinduism, when you die, you are reborn. There is no concept of death. Yet there are “ends” in life. And you have to move beyond, look for something new.

I am dealing with two of these -

Almost five years ago when I started my Ph.D. it was an end to my professional life in India and start of new academic life in USA. But now the end is in sight. I am about to graduate in a few months. Now what? The question is a tough one as at once I feel that there are so many beginnings in sight. The first question, I have to deal with - do I want to go back to India or stay in US? What kind of a job I want to do? Do I want to get an academic position or work in the industry? How easy/ or difficult it is to get into a professional career after your Ph.D?

Yes, I am looking forward to graduate but I don’t think I can find answers to these questions. I am hoping it will sort out as time comes.

The second most immediate decision I need to make is to move into a new apartment. It is always difficult to shift especially when you don’t know what the future is holding for you. But I guess I will have to make some decisions.

New place, new decisions.

I think Twitter is like speed dating.

You add people because you find something interesting about them and this could be what they mention in a simple sentence near their twitter handle. Then you get to know them through 140 characters. You exchange 140 character messages and then decide if you want to continue to know them on a longer basis.

Just 140 characters are enough and its relatively easy to follow or unfollow. No hard feelings

Compared to other social media networking sites, its relatively low involvement and less time investment. If you want people to know more about you or if you want to know more about them, you need to direct them or follow them outside of twitterverse.

Twitter is almost like scratching the surface, and if you spot Gold!!! go after it or else part ways and you don’t even need 140 characters for that!!!

There is lot of debate happening on my blog post on Motorola advert. So I have decided to now write my answer in a post. The ad in question is for Motoyuva w230 and it shows the father scolding the young boy for creating a mess in the house. The boy puts the earphones and listens to songs on his mobile shutting out his father.

My simple assertion was that the underlying message behind this ad was not culturally appropriate.

One of the recent replies is from Maneet who works in the mobile industry. I am quoting from his response for the full response you should read the comments below my earlier post.

“They chose to catch the youth audience’s attention by telling them that they can shut out the world’s problems around them by listening to music on thier motorola phone. ” “Lets allow Motorola (who has since almost shut shop in India) a bit of creative space to advertise.”

I quite agree with Maneet that we need to allow Motorola some creative space to advertise. I think all I would like to point out is how this ad could have been done differently.

In India, mobile phones are bought by parents, so if it is promoted as a device to alienate parents I am not sure that will work. I think a positioning that shows mobile phones as a device that strengthens bond between parents and growing up adolescents has more chances to succeed in a country like India.

If we take the above ad for example, when the father starts scolding the kid, he should have just let his mobile phone ring with a ringtone of his father’s favorite song. That would have immediately put father’s mood at ease. And father could have been shown asking his son about how to get that ringtone in his mobile phone. The son could have shown him how to do that and while the father enjoys downloading his favorite songs on his mobile phones, the son could have cleaned the house while listening to songs of his liking on his mobile phone. And the tagline could have been - “papa bhi khush, beta bhi khush.”

I am not saying that my idea is better or it would have succeeded, but the point is that why make ads that show mobile phones as making kids irresponsible.