87 percent of primary pupils have mobile phones in Algeria, 84 percent of children use them to play: study

According to a recent survey conducted by the National Health and Medical Research Development “FORAM”, chaired by Professor Mustafa Khiati, 84 percent of pupils especially those in junior high schools and sixth year primary levels who own mobile phones do not come into contact with their families except in rare cases.They use these devices to call their friends or to listen to registered songs or to play.

Professor Khiati called on parents to show more awareness and responsibility to ensure what he described as “communication” with their children to insure surveillance on them and prevent them from deviation or exploitation by criminal networks. Nowadays, a kidnappings wave hits minors and this type of criminality has developed to human organs trade.

A study available to Echorouk El Yaoumi recorded that mobile phones become available to Algerians at different ages and kinds. Most of families have more than one mobile. Some samples were asked in schools and cafés about the number of cell phones present in their houses.

Numbers reveal that 87 percent of the pupils in primary schools, i.e. from first to sixth year, have more than one mobile, compared to 7 percent who said they have no cell phone at home. Six percent have only one mobile out of 141 pupils from primary schools. The study found that most school pupils in the sixth stage have their own mobiles. It said that 91 percent of high schools’ pupils out of the 264 sample have more than one mobile at home compared to 3 percent confirming that they have more than one cell phone and 6 percent stated that they do not have a mobile at home.

Secondary stage pupils including 270 samples, 89 percent from their families have more than one mobile, 3 percent have one mobile, and 8 percent said that they do not have any at home.

The same study found that the poll conducted by “FORAM” in cafés, where most Internet users do not go to school, that 77 percent have more than one mobile and 5 percent own only one while 18 percent of the total 300 said they do not have any.

The same study indicated that 87 percent of primary pupils have mobile phones and most of them are studying in the sixth year compared to 91 percent of junior high schools’ pupils and 89 percent from high schools as well as 77 percent from Internet users. So, most Algerians own mobile phones nowadays, but they are used especially when contacting friends, playing games, and listening to music. Only some cases were recorded for calling parents. That reflects the absence of communication within the family.