NORFARHANI BTE MARIANI (27494)

MOBILE PHONES AND THE EFFECTS ON MALAYSIAN YOUTH CULTURE.

I choose mobile phones phenomenon and the effects on Malaysian youth culture is because I impressed with the changes that occur rapidly in Malaysian culture today especially in youth. In the past, mobile phone is not a major requirement for youth and it can be said only those who were able to pay more or only of professionals, businessmen, members of the public will have a mobile phone which is person who already worked and have own pocket money. Nowadays, even children age seven years old already have own mobile phone and know how to use mobile phone. Mobile phone phenomenon among the youth nowadays is no longer a new thing in Malaysian society because mobile phone now becomes one of important tools for youth. I really interested in mobile phone phenomenon is because even everywhere I go I can see young age children use and have own mobile phone, even in my own family members where my cousin age seven and ten years old already have own mobile phone. This scenario totally different with my own experience because my first mobile phone that I use is when I was at seventeen years old compared with my cousin who is seven and ten years old kids. The National Youth Councils working definition of youth are commonly those between the ages of fifteen and twenty-nine years (Anon, Definition of youth and youth development, 2006). For Malaysian definition, The National Youth Development Policy of Malaysia defines youth as people aged between fifteen and forty years. It stipulates further that the main focus of youth development programmed and activities in the country should be young people aged eighteen to twenty-five years (Anon, A Review of the Youth Situation and, 2002). Student either in school, college or university a formerly known as youth because the range of age is around seven until twenty-five years. In youth stages, the behaviour is unpredictable, so, youth is easily influenced by the latest technology, gadgets and fashion. Together with everyday uses of the cell phone as a communication device, the gadget has become a fashion tool, a device to shape individuals identity and prestige, creating a new subculture especially in the case of adolescents or youth (Nurullah, 2009). Every youth will compete with each other to be the best among their peers or friends.

NORFARHANI BTE MARIANI (27494)

Mobile phone can be so important nowadays because it is have various functions such as communication tools, texting, surfing the internet, music library, camera and many more. All this advantages we can get from mobile phone and that is why youth need and want mobile phone badly even they have to use loan money and own pocket money. Mobile phone phenomenon among Malaysian youth culture are causes syndrome Phone-maniac. This syndrome is because of reliance on mobile phones not only to communicate, but also to gain entertainment (Ibrahim, 2008). Mobile phone usage among young consumers brings negative effects more than positive effects. The negative impact arising from this phenomenon is addicted to texting or sms that typically make them complacent and no longer aware of what's happening around them, changing the way they socialize, the abuse of camera and mobile applications such as video store porn and there is many more the negative effects. These also effects teenagers health that regularly uses the mobile phone. The radiation from the mobile phone can causes risk of a tumor or cancer of the brain, damage memory, mobile phones radiation can damage blood cells and there are several other effects related to adolescent health problems that regularly use the mobile phone. The advantages of using mobile phone among youth are it helps parents to monitor and know where their children are and what they are doing. Mobile phone also make youth life become easier because it has tools that can help them managed their time. This mobile phone phenomenon that occur at Malaysian nowadays has change the Malaysian culture from past to better things even mobile phone bring so much negative impact to adolescent compared to positive impact. Mobile phone also reshape the Malaysian culture become new culture where is youth has create their own social field for them socialize each other. Nowadays Malaysian youth today have not lagged in technology and these cultural changes make many impacts on Malaysian society and country. For me, this phenomenon brings more negative impact compared to positive to the Malaysian culture and its depends on ourselves how to use the technology.

NORFARHANI BTE MARIANI (27494)

BIBILIOGRAPHY

Anon. (2002). A Review of the Youth Situation and. YOUTH IN MALAYSIA , 4. Anon. (2006, August 15). Definition of youth and youth development. Retrieved September 22, 2010, from Youth Research: http://www.nyc.gov.sg/research/youthdefinition.asp Ibrahim, N. (2008, February 26). SINDROM PHONE-MANIAC DI KALANGAN REMAJA. Retrieved 2010, from zimahibrahim.wordpress.com: http://zimahibrahim.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/sindrom-%E2%80%98phonemaniac%E2%80%99-di-kalangan-remaja/ Nurullah, A. S. (2009). The Cell Phone as an Agent of Social Change. 6 (1), 1.