Men Use Phones to Flirt
Research by Sheffield Hallam University and Virgin Mobile is reporting that British men consider their mobile phone an important status symbol - particularly in helping to attract the opposite sex. The research reveals that in an age when technology is king, and competition is rife, men see their phones as a tool to help them impress women. The study observed men and women in various different public locations including: restaurants, bars, coffee shops, shopping centres and pubs.
It revealed that many men believe that 'Bond-esque' phones with gadgets including video cameras and mp3 players will make them more desirable to females.
Furthermore, the research which also included focus groups and questionnaire surveys found that in social situations men actively display their phones and its capabilities in a bid to look important and popular. The research suggests that this is done primarily to attract females but also used to show off and gain status with other men in their peer group.
The results are the first to be released from research currently being undertaken by Virgin Mobile and Sheffield Hallam University. They have been working together researching the affects of the mobile phone on modern society.
Dr Simeon Yates, Director of the Cultural, Communication and Computing Research Institute at Sheffield Hallam University said: "We are really pleased to have teamed up with Virgin Mobile on this groundbreaking research project. The first results reveal key differences in how men and women use their mobiles. We have found that men put their mobiles on show a great deal of the time when in public. One interpretation of this is that mobile phones are used as a vehicle to impress women and show off to other men."
Jo Baker, Virgin Mobile said: "We have always known that mobile phones play an important part of the mating and dating game. It's no massive surprise to know that their status has grown to that of a key pulling aid. We expect with James Bond hitting screens this week, that the amount of men wanting gadget packed phones will shoot through the roof."
Posted to the site on 14th November 2006