Culture plays role in students' smartphone usage

A new study has revealed that how the cultural differences of among countries affects the students' mobile communication habits.

A new study has revealed that how the cultural differences of among countries affects the students' mobile communication habits.

The study lead by University of Texas at San Antonio's (UTSA) Department of Communication found that American smartphone users were more likely to use their phones for email, texting and social media, whereas Korean smartphone users were interested in entertainment and information gathering.

Seok Kang, associate professor of UTSA collaborated with Korean researcher, Jaemin Jung measured the amount of time students spent using their smartphones and how they used them.

Kang said that mobile media had standardized communication across the globe, and it facilitated communication needs more than traditional media like television, radio or newspapers.

Researchers selected these two countries due to the high rates of smartphone ownership among their young adults, as 80% of Americans own smartphones, while the ownership rate in Korea is about 90%.