A series of multimedia classroom activities to help navigate the costs of mobile phones is now available for students in years 5-8. The activities help students learn how to be smart mobile phone consumers.
"Mobile phones are part of everyday life for the majority of teenagers as they move in to secondary school," said the Chairman of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), Greg Medcraft. "They give us unprecedented access to information, entertainment and our friends and family, but their features can be expensive if they are not understood and used responsibly."
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show 22% of 9 to 11 year olds own a mobile phone. This jumps to 73% of 12 to 14 year olds.
"We need to teach young people to use their mobile phones responsibly now, so they can make more confident and informed decisions, prevent costly mistakes and avoid falling into debt later in life."
Data from the Australian Communications and Media Authority show just how costly those mistakes can be, with 43% of 18 to 24 year olds admitting they overspend on their mobile phone plan nearly three times a year.
ASIC's MoneySmart Teaching multimedia classroom activities help students:
- Choose a mobile phone plan based on what they use it for and their budget (Choosing a plan)
- Look at the included value of a plan and the cost of calls, text and browsing the web (Calls, messaging and browsing)
- Understand the cost of uploading videos and downloading pictures on social media (Social media)
- Know what a premium service is and how to unsubscribe from one (Premium services)
- Identify advertising techniques used to promote mobile phone plans (Mobile phone advertising)
- Pick a scam and know where to go for help (Security)
- See how in-app advertising works by paying more to reach new levels in games (Entertainment)
- Understand how advertisers can access personal details if you subscribe to competitions and promotional offers (Advertising)
- See how calls, SMS, voicemail, social media, internet and downloads use credit (Mobile credit)
Parents and teachers are encouraged to check out the activities and introduce them into their schools and homes. Activities are free to download and can be used on iPads, tablets and computers.
__small.png)
