Brief report: How do adolescents perceive the risks related to cell-phone use?

• Published in: Journal of adolescence (London, England.) Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 513 - 521
• Main Authors: Martha, Cécile, Griffet, Jean
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2007; Elsevier; Elsevier Science; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Accidents, Traffic - statistics & numerical data; Adolescent; Adolescent Attitudes; Adolescents; At Risk Persons; Attention; Attitude Measures; Attitude to Health; Automobile driving; Automobile Driving - statistics & numerical data; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Phone - statistics & numerical data; Cell-phone use; Cellular telephones; Civility; Correlation; Dangerous driving; Developmental psychology; Ethnicity; Female; Foreign Countries; France; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Incivility; Interpersonal Relationship; Male; Mobile phones; Norms; Pediatrics; Perceptions; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Radiation; Risk Factors; Risk perception; Risk-Taking; Risky-driving; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenagers; Telecommunications; Telephone Communications; Traffic Safety; France; Incivility; Risk perception; Risky-driving; Cell-phone use; Adolescents; Radiation; Human; Mobile phone; Vigilance; Vehicle driving; Toxicity; Awareness; Sex; Microwave; Adolescent; Risk factor; Electromagnetic field; Biological effect
• ISSN: 0140-1971; 1095-9254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2006.11.008

Abstract Besides the social risks of incivility and impoliteness (I-incivility), cell-phone use is classically associated with two types of physical risk: microwave radiation (LIMRadiation) and decreased attention while driving (CPUWDriving). As the literature has showed that adolescents’ risky behavior was consistent with their risk perception, we ran a self-report survey to evaluate 1/how French adolescents ( n = 1129 ) perceived physical risks related to CPUWDriving, exposure to LIMRadiation, and social risks related to I-incivility; and 2/the factors underlying these risk perceptions. Results showed that adolescents have an acute perception of the risks associated with CPUWDriving and appeared to be concerned, as a whole, with social risks related to I-Incivility. They do not appear particularly concerned by the risks related to LIMRadiation, which may reflect societal confusion about risks still considered as hypothetical and/or based on equivocal evidence. Gender, ethnicity, and age were not predictive for perceived risks. Level of schooling had a positive influence on perceived risks related to CPUWDriving and I-Incivility, and cell-phone ownership had an inverse relationship with perceived risks related to I-Incivility.