American Teens: Stupid or Spoiled?
I hadn't been to Europe for close to a year and have to admit I was surprised, even inspired by the
speed with which young people are upgrading their handheld wireless devices over there. As I
strolled the streets of London neighbourhoods, I saw kids taking photos, shooting video, sending
real email (not just text messages or sms, but genuine internet mail), and even mo-blogging,
nearly everywhere I looked.
These just weren't the wealthy kids in the posh areas, but real people from a fairly wide variety of
socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. It seemed to be that a majority of people under forty,
and nearly everyone under 20, was sporting a fairly new and fully featured mobile phone.
Rather than bemoan the rampant (perhaps American-born) consumerism that may have
contributed to English youth's rapid uptake of new cell phones, I chose instead to explore the
factors motivating all this handset replacement. Why do they want the latest models? Style? Do
they all love cell phone games? The ability to check sports scores from the street? Why must they
send photos to one another with so much urgency that it requires always-ready wireless access?
The answer occurred to me as I wandered the Knightsbridge district in search of a place to check
my email. There were no Internet cafes. My friends in South Kensington happened to own a
computer and a very expensive and unstable connection. Unlike the United States, local phone
calls in the UK actually cost money - a lot of money.
In such an environment, a highly functional cell phone is not a luxury gadget, but a primary access
point to the net. It's not seen as just another gadget to go along (and ultimately dock) with the
PC, digital camera, mp3 player, web cam, and game console. It is to serve as all these things, all
by itself.
In America, where consumerism still does run rampant, old PC's are stacked in people's closets,
and landline access is cheap, or even free. Access is plentiful.
That's why reluctance of America's youth to dish out two or three hundred dollars on the latest
Samsung camera phone or Sony mp3-capable handset may be incorrectly attributed to their lack
of sophistication with wireless handheld devices. And it's certainly not a low appetite for digital
services, messaging, music, and authoring. America's youth are among the world's most avid
consumers and users of gaming consoles, email, mp3's, video editing, and web blogs. It's not their
lack of technological sophistication that keeps American teens from investing in soaped-up cell
phones; quite on the contrary, it's their access to technologies that are superior for each of these
tasks. They play games on a Playstation; listen to mp3's on an iPod, send messages using a real
keyboard, shoot pictures with a camera, and edit video on a computer.
It's not that American kids don't have cell phones. They do. It's just that they don't have the same
need to use their phones for activities that are already being satisfied better elsewhere.
Even if they don't prove to be eager handset up graders, America's youth will still rack up airtime
on the cell phones they already have. They're just going to do it the old fashioned way: talking.
By Douglas Rushkoff, Fri Oct 17, 2003
A. Tick the option that best completes each sentence:
1 - In London, the author was …
a) astonished by how fast people used the latest technology on mobile phones.
b) terrified by the use new technology.
c) surprised by the amount of people using mobile phones.
2 - The author also realised that the majority of users …
a) were from high-class areas.
b) came from a wide scope of social and economical classes.
d) were very wealthy.
3 - Faced with these high levels of advanced technology use, the author decided to…
a) find out why Americans don’t do the same.
b) determine the reason why this has taken place in Britain.
c) criticise British consumerism.
4 - The main reason why most British own a highly functional cell phone is that…
a) the phone is considered an interesting gadget.
b) it offers a good way to communicate with others.
c) it provides fast access to the net as well as other features.
B. Select the correct alternative:
5 - Why is Internet access so easily found in America?
a) Internet access is easy simply because they have better computers.
b) Landline access is easily available at a very reasonable cost if not free.
c) It’s easily found because there are a lot of access points.
6 - How does the text describe American teens as technology consumers?
a) The text describes American teens as extremely eager consumers of technology.
b) They are described as not having a great appetite for technological advancements.
c) American teens are viewed as reluctant users of technology.
7 - What explanation is provided by the text to account for American teens
attitude towards acquiring a sophisticated top-of-the-line mobile phone?
a) American teens simply don’t like mobile phones.
b) Teens don’t have the technological sophistication to acquire a high-tech mobile.
c) American teens have access to other technological means to perform the same tasks
better so they don’t require a sophisticated mobile.
8 - According to the text, for what does an American teen use its mobile phone?
a) America’s youth will mainly use its mobile phone to access the net.
b) Teens will use mobile phones primarily to speak to each other.
c) They will use cell phones to satisfy their needs.
C. Determine to what the words given below refer to.
Tick the correct option:
9 - they
a) Americans
b) Cell phones
c) English youth
10 - it
a) Send photos to one another
b) Urgency
c) Wireless access
11 - it
a) Gadget
b) Net
c) Cell phone
12 - their
a) Samsung camera phone and Sony handset
b) Wireless devices
c) America’s youth
D. Chose the alternative that adequately explains the meaning of the given word
or expression:
13 - “… fully featured mobile phone.” (l. 8/9 )
a) A highly advanced mobile with a wide variety of functions.
b) A standard mobile phone for full use.
c) A mobile phone that can take photos.
14 - “… bemoan the rampant consumerism…” (l. 10 )
a) Study the motives that explain consumerism.
b) Complain about the ever rising consumerism.
c) Explain why consumerism is decreasing.
15 - “… will still rack up airtime…” (l. 39/40)
a) They will still spend a certain amount of time talking on the phone
b) They might spend some air on the phone
c) They should use the air to talk on the phone
16 - If English youth doesn’t buy high tech mobiles, they will continue to have
poor access to the net.
Unless English ……………………………. access to the net.
a) teens don’t buy mobiles, they will have bad .
b) youth buys high tech mobiles, they will continue to have poor …
c) youth bought high tech mobiles, they will continue to have ...
17 - Why do they want the latest models?”
The author wondered ………………….. models.
a) why did they wanted the latest …
b) if they wanted the latest …
c) why they wanted the latest …
18 - English teens need to have a highly advanced mobile phone in order to
access the net and perform other functions.
English teens need to have a highly advanced mobile phone so that ……………….. functions.
a) they can access the net and perform other…
b) access the net and perform other…
c) accessed the net and performed other
19 - We may attribute American teens’ reluctance in buying high tech cell
phones to their lack of sophistication.
American teens’ reluctance …………………………………………. sophistication.
a) in buying high tech cell phones may attributed to their lack of …
b) in buying high tech cell phones be may attribute to their lack of …
c) in buying high tech cell phones may be attributed to their lack of …
20 - Although they aren’t eager cell phone users, American teens will still use
the phones they already have.
Despite ……………………….. will still use the phones they already have.
a) not being eager cell phone users, American teens …
b) of not being eager cell phone users, American teens …
c) they aren’t eager cell phone users, American teens …
21 - Cell phone users want a high tech device will spend huge amounts of money
to buy it.
Cell phone users ……………………………………. to buy it.
a) when they want a high tech device will spend huge amounts of money …
b) which want a high tech device will spend huge amounts of money …
c) who want a high tech device will spend huge amounts of money…
