Openet commissioned leading consumer research agency, Harris Interactive, to carry out a survey to examine how teenagers use their mobile phones and the internet. The findings were surprising and indicate that there is an opportunity, for operators to increase customer loyalty, service adoption and win new customers.
The research found that:
- Cyber bullying and mis-use of mobiles is alarmingly high
- Most children use their mobiles at times when they are not supposed to – e.g. in class, after bedtime.
- Existing parental rules about safe mobile phone usage are largely ineffective as there is little or no enforcement
The research shows the clear need for operators to provide parental controls that enable them to create a high value personalized service offering for parents by allowing them to control their children’s usage from their mobiles.