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More Telephones?
A survey by America Online found that the Internet may be
replacing the telephone for today’s teenagers. According
to the AOL survey, by the time teens reach age 18, 56 percent
of them are using the Internet more than the telephone to
communicate with friends and family. The survey is based on
responses from 6,700 parents of teens and teens.
More Teen Girls Having
Wrecks
Over the last decade, American insurance companies have reported
a 9 percent increase in the number of 16-year-old female drivers
involved in crashes. With those changing numbers come changing
costs for insurance. The nation’s largest insurer still
charges high rates to insure teenage boys who drive. But the
cost to insure teenage girls is going up, too.
Bingo Fever
Bingo may be old news in many countries, but high-tech bingo
salons, with their cash prizes and giant video screens flashing
numbers at a rapid-fire pace, are the latest fashion in Italy.
Decked out in rose-tinted sunglasses and fur-fringed coats,
teens in the Italian capital, Rome, are turning the local
bingo hall into one of the hottest night spots in town. Seated
next to pensioners, students and veteran gamblers, they huddle
over their bingo cards, crossing out squares anxiously as
numbered balls are plucked from an aquarium-like tank and
read aloud.
(Sources: Reuters, ABCNEWS.com)
TV Soap Operas May Help
Teens Avoid Aids in Africa
A popular Tanzanian radio serial drama explicitly targets
issues such as HIV-related behaviors. Dr. William
Ryerson, president of the Population Media Center
reported that 82% of listeners, “said the program
caused them to adopt monogamy or use condoms
to avoid AIDS.” Although the soaps’ longterm
effectiveness has yet to be determined, it is hoped
that the characters on these popular programs will lead
by example.
(Source: Reuters Health)
Graphic Cigarette Warnings Effective
A study by the Canadian Cancer Society reveals that the graphic
warning labels on cigarette packages in Canada have been effective
in discouraging smoking. 58% of smokers interviewed in the
study said full-colour pictures of how cancer affects the
mouth, lungs, heart and brain had made them think more about
the health effects of smoking.The warnings were so effective
that 44 percent of the smokers polled said the new warnings
increased their motivation to quit smoking. The health warnings
on the packages are required under the TobaccoProducts Information
Regulations.
Cell Phones In Schools
In the early ‘90s many schools banned cell phones and
beepers. However, since the September attacks this policy
is being revisited. Not only do teens want the ban lifted
but parents as well. “What I’m hearing from parents
is that they need their students to have these phones for
a feeling of security,” said Montgomery County, Maryland,
school board president Nancy J. King. However, some still
believe the phones are a ‘distraction’ and should
not be permitted in schools.
(Source: www.msnbc.com)
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