The Egyptians wore sandals, Greeks and Romans embroidered their clothes and now western society has turned to the mobile phone. To do what? Well, according to researchers at the University of Liverpool, to advertise status and wealth.
A study published late last year by Prof Robin Dunbar and Dr John Lycett found that men are using their mobile phones as peacocks use their tail feathers and male bullfrogs use their croaks: to advertise to females their worth, status and desirability.
By observing the people in an upmarket pub in Liverpool frequented by single professionals over a period of four months, they found that not only did a lot more men than women appear to own mobile phones but they clearly wanted everybody else to know they owned them.
Whereas women in the pub removed their telephones from their handbags or briefcases only when they rang or when making a call, the male patrons took their phones out of their jacket pockets or briefcases the minute they sat down and put them on bar counters or tables. The scientists pointed to research across all cultures showing that while males tend to place emphasis on female attractiveness, females value status, earning capacity and future competitive success.
The scientists compared the pub to an animal display ritual known as a lek, hence the title of the study: "Mobile Phones as Lekking Devices Among Human Males." In nature, a lek is a place where male animals congregate to advertise their qualities to the opposite sex. Females then visit these gatherings and assess a number of individuals before deciding to mate with one.
During the study, 54 per cent of the bar's patrons were male and 46 per cent were female. However, while 32 per cent of males were seen to display a mobile phone, only 13 per cent of females did so. The study found that as the number of females per male decreased, the more mobiles became visible, with men using their phones to distinguish themselves from potential rivals in an increasingly competitive environment.
Dr Lycett said the study was inspired by newspaper reports in South America that a large number of nightclub patrons there had fake mobile phones. At the same time, UK stores were selling fake mobile phones, some of which would even ring and light up.
The men surveyed in the pub also tended to fiddle with their phones and make more calls than the women, which, the study showed, was probably an attempt to attract attention to themselves.
With mobiles now being marketed as fashion accessories, maybe it's no surprise that they are becoming an element in male display. The number of people who have mobile phones has increased exponentially since the research was done two years ago. Dr Lycett said the trend may soon be for people to acquire phones that are smaller, more expensive and more exclusive, to distinguish themselves from the herd.