One in seven advanced cell phones purchased by Africans; kids share cells, not Facebook

Robin Parker, director of Bizcommunity.com, has spent much of his time developing online journalism businesses on the African continent. In a column at allafrica.com, he notes that "currently, 1:7 mobiles bought daily is bought by an African. In four years time 50% of continental Africans will have mobile phones with high-end capabilities. This poses an interesting dilemma for those governments clinging to old-style autocracy . . . ." LINK: http://allafrica.com/stories/200801040544.html

Separately, Scott Karp of Publish2.0 recounts his experience eavesdropping on teens at a cafe -- and describes how their world revolves around "sharing" their cell phones. Taken together, these two columns suggests news organizations should be focused on worldwide wireless if they want to grow. LINK:

http://publishing2.com/2008/01/04/real-teen-social-networking-in-person-with-cellphones-in-hand/