Research Note: A Need or a Status Symbol?

Abstract

This article investigates motives behind cellular phone usage and the satisfaction obtained by users in Turkey. It is suggested that the use of cellular phones as a status symbol is more important than the other motives which affect the level of use negatively. The sample consisted of 630 cellular phone users, 18 years of age or older, randomly selected in the city of Konya. The results verify the importance of status/relaxation and security/sociability as motives for cellular phone usage. While the status/relaxation motive is negatively related, the security/sociability motive indicates a positive relation to the level of total use. Income, previous experience with cellular phones, brand of handset, use at the workplace and in the car are also found to be important in determining the level of usage.