[3GScottishUser]

Its interesting watching younger folks (12-17 y/olds) using mobile technology. For a long time talk and text were the big priority now there is a new 'must have' feature and its diirect file sharing facilities. I can't help but notice the number of younger users now swapping tunes, pictures and videos (don't ask what type) using Infra-red and bluetooth. Most youngeters I speak to download music and clips from the Internet and share them on mobiles, few I have spoken to have any knowledge of legal mobile downloads, even those few with PAYG 3G handsets. DRM measures seem to be one of the major reasons why youngsters shun the mobile networks offerings.

It appears that the increased technology and facilities on mobiles are attractive to younger folks. What they dont seem to like is handing mobile networks money for exchanging pictures and videos and they definately dont want to buy copy restricted music. This must be a huge dilemma for the networks who have invested millions handing out ever more feature rich handsets, have these been the costly price just to keep hold of the voice and text business?

[whatleydude]

I agree man - I was recently involved with some youth orientated mobile phone market research..

In EVERY group we covered File Sharing via Bluetooth was the ONLY thing that consistently came up throughout.

Aside from that - the groups were chalk and cheese.

[Hands0n]

It is almost the "calling card" syndrome at work. A lot of kudos in having and being able to share with others the latest and greatest.

I've also seen some very good 3GP videos made by kids having a lark around. Very funny, entertaining and just fun-filled. Not the gloom and doom stuff we keep getting force fed by the news media. These kids are getting more and more adept at making video shorts of their activities, and they appear to be having a real ball doing it. I think that it is to be applauded that they have used these mobiles so creatively, inspiringly even.

The very thought of paying for stuff is abhorrent to them - especially as they really are not rolling in bundles of cash. If the mobile network operators think they are going to get rich quick from the kids, they have missed the mark completely. There is more than enough non-DRM material readily available to all but the laziest. If all else fails, I've seen the younger ones (around 12 years old) record onto the handset direct from another audio source (radio, TV etc.). They are not after ear-bending HiFi, they just want the tracks - much as we probably did in our younger days with the crackly AM/FM transistor radio (anyone remember those?).

Being an elder techie I just love seeing how the current crop of multimedia handsets are being used for such entertaining and engaging purposes.