Research Paper – The Effects of Mobile Photography to Selected Young People in Cavite

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Title: THE EFFECTS OF MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY IN RELATION TO THE HABITS OF YOUTH IN CAVITE

Proponents: Kimberly Daco, Monique Caroline Bolilan, Geleen Tanael, Jean Carlo Bernardo, Dessa Sialsa and Julie Ann Vista, (Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite)

Date: March 2011

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Photography is the art of recording an image which we find captivating, amusing, or thought-provoking. People are sometimes in the condition of wanting and so desperate to capture priceless moments but do not bring cameras everywhere because most people only bring them during special occasions. Without photography, our world would not be as exciting. Mobile phone cameras, which are rarely left at home, can save us from these kinds of situations (mashable.com).

Mobile photography is becoming an art unto itself (x-equals.com). Although its photograph has not the good quality as high definition cameras such as DSLR (digital shutter lens reflector) or that of digital cameras, it gives the convenience if a useable camera and can be carried anywhere. And because mobile phone cameras are so advanced, these phones are now so satisfying that somehow is has some features of digital cameras (www.articlebase.com).

According to Agee, Ault, & Emery (1997), “The media is a part of the social fabric just as schools, government, churches and synagogues. They significantly influence other segments of society and in turn influenced by them.”

Camera phones are one of the fastest growing segments of the digital camera market. Some sellers say that they are beginning to win the market from digital cameras. This is because of the improvements in the quality of what is being offered in some phones, higher megapixels, better lenses, and high capacity storage [citation needed].

The development of cell phones into cameras was one of the main achievements in the technical development of the communications sector. Teenagers nowadays and also some professionals find it more rewarding, pleasurable and versatile to buy camera phones than the ordinary camera [Citation needed].

As mobile photography develops, more teenagers have become attached by this kind of trend. Camera phones make it easy to take pictures, to send these to friends or family no matter how far away, and to upload these to social networking sites. This grabbed the youths’ hearts, thus making it part of their habit.

This paper focuses on the effects of mobile photography being a a parts of teenagers’ lives nowadays.

METHODOLOGY

Research Method

In this study, the researchers used descriptive research in order to find out the mobile photography habit of selected young people in Cavite. In order to gather primary data, the researchers use a questionnaire.

Sampling design

The respondents of the study were students from different places in Cavite. They are students 13 to 19 years old, from the secondary to tertiary levels. These respondents live in Indang, Dasmariñas, Tanza, Rosario, Silang, Cavite City, and Imus. Purposive convenience sampling was used to select the respondents.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1. No. of youth in Cavite who are fond of mobile photography

	Fond	Sometimes	Not Fond
No. of youth	45	43	12

A majority of the respondents say that they are “fond” and “sometimes” fond of mobile photography. Only 12 respondents said that they are “not fond” of it.

Table 2. Usual subjects in taking pictures

Subjects	No. of Respondents
Myself in different poses	59
Views of places that I go to	47
Friends and family	63
Others	1

The study reveals that a majority of the respondents usually take pictures of family and friends. This is because Filipinos are family-oriented and they are loving to the friends.

More than half also said that they like taking pictures of themselves in different poses [now called “selfies”—Sir G]. According to Erik Erikson (in Papali, nd), in the said age bracket, 13 to 19 years old, people are said to be deciding about who they are, what life is all about, and where they are going on in life. This is also the stage of developing emotional competence that is seen as when they become more skillful at presenting their emotions to others (Larson & Richards, 1994).

 One respondent claimed that he usually takes pictures of different foods and animals. [It can also be noted that at this time, food photography was still not in vogue. Food photography is now a popular subject in Facebook and Instagram.—Sir G]

Table 3. No. of youth who consider mobile photography as their hobby.

	Yes	Sometimes	No
No. of youth	20	52	42

Twenty respondents consider that mobile photography as their hobby while 52 said it was not. [For some reason, the number of respondents exceed exceeded n= 100.—Sir G]

Table 4. Reasons for taking pictures

Reasons	No. of Respondents
To express myself, my thoughts and emotions	63
To show off things that are important to me	43
To capture things that convey a message	35
To show things to a family member away from me	28
To capture anything even if it has no meaning	29
Others	1

Most of the respondents (63) claim that they engage in mobile photography to express themselves, their thoughts, and emotions. One respondent claimed that he takes pictures to record memorable happenings in his life. According to Saarni (1999) and Saarni et al. (2006), adolescents are more likely to understand the importance of being able to communicate their emotions constructively to improve the quality of a relationship.

Table 5. No. of youth who are aware of the effects of mobile photography

	No. of Respondents
Aware	31
Not aware	41
Not sure	28

Most of the respondents say that they are “not aware” and “not sure” of the negative effects of mobile photography.

The negative effects of using mobile phones include [citation needed]: 1) Addiction- Excessive cell phone usage can lead to addiction, especially to teens, as well as time wasted on compulsive communication with peers via text messaging and phone calls; and 2) Health- A study of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found the excessive use of cell phones causes teens and young adults to experience restlessness, difficultly falling and staying asleep, and increased susceptibility to stress and fatigue.

In relation to photography, there is the issue of invasion of privacy. One should ask for permission before photographing people or private property. Also there are places where privacy is expected, such as bathrooms, locker rooms, changing and dressing rooms, bedrooms, and other areas where a person may expect a certain level of personal privacy [citation needed].

Table 6. No. of youth that say that mobile photography benefits them

	Yes	Maybe	No
No. of youth	48	12	16

A majority of the respondents say that mobile photography is beneficial or maybe beneficial to them.

Table 7. Perception of youth about how mobile photography affects their everyday life

	Good	Bad	Maybe
No. of youth	67	6	27

A majority of the respondents say that mobile photography has a “good” effect on their life while only six said that it has a negative effect on their lives.

CONCLUSION

Summary

A majority of the young people are fond mobile photography and consider this as their hobby. They usually take pictures of family and friends; themselves in different poses; and views of places they visited. They do this in order to express themselves and to reinforce connections between them and family and friends.

Recommendations

The researchers recommend that those engaged in mobile photography be aware of the negative effects of using mobile devices and of the rights to privacy of persons. They should also spend more time for other activities, indoor or outdoor.

REFERENCES

Agee, Ault, & Emery. (1997). Photography and the future (2^nd ed.). [No place and publisher in original].

Papali, D. E. A child’s world: Infancy through adolescence. (2^nd ed.). Sally Wedkos Olds.

Wells, L. (2000). Photography: A critical introduction (2^nd ed.). Britain Press.

Citation (APA style):

Daco, K. C., Bolilan, M. C., Tanael, G. T., Bernardo, J. C., Sialsa, D. T., Vista, J. A. (March 2011). The effects of mobile photography in relation to the habits of youth in Cavite. Edited by G. T. Guerrero. Unpublished researcher paper, Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite.