Socio-economic Impact of Cellular Phones Growth in Pakistan: An Empirical Analysis
Year: 2009
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This paper investigates the socio-economic impact of using cellularphones based on primary source of data from urban and rural areas ofDera Gazi Khan District of Punjab province. Since innovation in thetelecommunication sector through cellular phones has changed theconcept of communication, it has become the source of economicgrowth and employment opportunities at macro level and improved thesituation of health, emergency, social contacts, entertainment, efficientdecision making, traveling and easy market access for a common manat micro level. There are significant studies on using cell phonesinternationally but noteworthy attention in terms of research has notbeen given to this emerging issue in Pakistan so far. This study fills thegap in the literature. According to the elementary data analysis,respondents of the rural areas are benefited more than the urban areasin using cell phones as it becomes the main source of information oflocal markets, nationwide changes in political and economic conditionsand social contacts. It is also found that almost half of the respondentsadmit that cell phones render the main source of family cohesion,access to doctor or police and give opportunities of employmentdirectly or indirectly. Finally it is concluded that growth of cell phoneshas strong and significant impact on their lives both economically andsocially.
Institution: Bahauddin Zakariya University
Language: English
Topic: ICT Impact and Policies
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2337421429