What does a smartphone state about the social well-being of a country?
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It is beyond doubt that mobile phones, especially In fact, for the first time in India, household ownership of mobile device is being used as an indicator of societal and economic wellbeing as it serves as an ideal proxy for mobile usage.
Next time you see a person with a
1.
Households that own a mobile phone appear to be enjoying an economic consumption premium over those who do not own a mobile. It has been observed that as smartphone usage has increased in India, there has also been a corresponding improvement in the Human Development Index (HDI). Therefore, it can be said that mobile ownership is one of the important determinants that have a multiplier effect on the HDI.
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• It is interesting to note that the state of Kerala, which has the country’s highest HDI at 76.4, enjoys a 79 percent rural mobile ownership, also amongst the highest in the country. It is important to mention here that Kerala is the only state with almost 100 percent
• Andhra Pradesh, India's fourth-largest state by area and fifth-largest by population, reports a HDI of 59 percent and a rural mobile ownership at 55.1 percent. The state reports a lower HDI as well as rural mobile ownership compared to neighbouring southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. With a population of 84 million where 2/3rd live in rural areas, indicates that nearly 55 million rural households do not own a mobile.
• Uttar Pradesh, one of the oldest states in the country with the fourth largest economy in India reports an HDI of 53 percent and a rural household mobile ownership of 55.4 percent.
2. Mobile Ownership & the Economic Consumption Expenditure Premium
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It is observed that mobile owning households in India enjoy economic premium prosperity over households that do not own a mobile in India (2009-2010).
• Indian households that own a mobile device enjoy a 62 percent economic prosperity premium compared to those without a mobile.
• This premium is even more pronounced with respect to urban communities where mobile phone-owning households are – on average – 85 percent better off in economic terms.
3. Literacy
Literacy, which an important indicator of social development in a nation, also reveals interesting trends and depicts covariance with mobile ownership.
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• It is observed that mobile ownership touches 80 percent on an average once a household attains secondary education.
• It can also be observed that mobile ownership increases by 10 percentage points once a household becomes just literate i.e. the head of the family can read and write but as not attended any formal schooling.
• Furthermore, the probability of owning a mobile is more than 1.5 times in case of a post graduate household compared to a household that is not-literate.
• On the other hand, the proportion of rural not-literate households owning a mobile is 40 percent whereas it is 20 percent higher in urban not-literate households. The rural-urban divide in terms of mobile ownership narrows down as educational attainment improves amongst Indian households.
4.
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Owning a mobile has made it possible for households to instantly access basic healthcare services that have contributed to reduced mortality rates.
A good example of how the mobile device can be used to deliver basic healthcare services would be
Note: The study has been jointly conducted by Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) and
Image credits: indiatimes, mobile multipliers
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