I can't live without my mobile phone – and a digital manners manual
Sixty percent of Asian consumers are unable to live without their mobile
phone and two thirds of Asians believe digital devices should come with
user etiquette manuals, according to a Synovate survey.
Exploring Asian consumer attitudes towards wireless manners, Synovate surveyed
3,363 respondents in the markets of China, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia and
Thailand about their most essential digital device, their most annoying digital
behaviours, and whether they had ever been 'dumped' by SMS.
The findings reveal that as the public continues to unplug and tune in,
consumers across Asia believe that technology manners leave a lot to be
desired.
Mobile manners
Which digital device are you unable to live without?
When asked which digital device they are unable to live without, 60% of Asians
voted for their mobile phone, with consumers in Hong Kong (76%), Malaysia (71%),
and Thailand (69%) particularly mobile reliant.
Desktop computers (16%) and laptops (6%) were the next most essential devices,
while handheld PDAs were the lifeline of a surprisingly small one percent of
the population.
Synovate Managing Director Hong Kong, Jill Telford, said that the mobile phone
had developed into a multimedia tool that was now considered a necessity among
all Asian consumers.
"Mobile phones have become an essential item rather than a luxury, even among
low income groups who require a basic model to participate in today’s lifestyle,"
she said.
"Although the extent to which people use mobile functionality is open to debate,
Synovate research across the region shows that Asian consumers view their mobiles
not just as a convenient communication tool but also as an indispensable fashion
accessory that reflects their individual style and values."
While mobile phones may be commonplace, the survey shows that mobile manners
are not, with 40% of Asians nominating mobile phones as the number one digital
device most likely to be used impolitely. Misuse of handheld electronic games
was a distant second, chosen by 13% of the population.
Which is the most impolite mobile phone habit?
When it comes to what constitutes poor mobile manners, carrying out a loud
conversation in public places is the worst mobile phone habit for 42% of Asians,
closely followed by speaking on a mobile during a movie (22%) and answering the
phone during a business meeting (16%).
Koreans (51%) and Chinese (50%) are more likely to be subjected to someone else's
conversation in a public place, with residents in Hong Kong (36%) and Thailand (32%)
affected more by the number of people who interrupt movies to speak on their mobile
phone.
"Inconsiderate use of mobile phones is a problem in many countries and has got so
out of hand that telecoms providers are now running educational public service ads
in some countries, including Korea and Hong Kong," said Ms Telford.
"With 45% of Asians in the countries surveyed believing that people are now less
courteous when using a mobile phone than they were five years ago, it is clear
that the lack of mobile manners is only getting worse," she added.
Dating disasters
Behaviour now considered appropriate for mobile phones is affecting Asian consumers'
love lives, with a remarkable ten percent of respondents having had a relationship
or friendship ended by SMS message. SMS dumping is most prevalent in Malaysia,
where close to a third of the population (30%) have had their hearts broken by SMS,
followed by Korea (13%), China and Thailand (both 12%).
Asians should also beware of how they use their mobile phone when courting, with a
further 30% indicating they would not see a person again if they had a mobile phone
conversation while on a first date.
Email etiquette
Which is the most impolite email habit?
