Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Mobile Generation
The mobile phone is really not a phone anymore, is it?
Gitte Stald, from the University of Copenhagen, recognizes mobile phones as telephone-computer-camera devices with enough computing power to maneuver the internet, mail, music, photos, video, games, books, diary, alarm clock, GPS, anywhere the user goes. Stald echoes writer Mizuko Ito when he calls mobile phones “personal, portable, and pedestrian” devices primarily used for direct social connectivity. Stald also discusses the indirect social "duality" of mobile phone usage that goes beyond functional contact.
What does a mobile phone mean to the individual?
In "Mobile Identity: youth, identity, and mobile communication media" Stald's research with young adults suggests mobiles mean a lot of things.
Mobile phone users:
1. Are always available.
2. Are always capable of accessing information.
3. Can work anywhere at any time.
4. Have expanded (unlimited) choice of applications, music, games, etc.
5. Coordinate daily tasks, reminders, work/study appointments, social relationships, etc. 6. Have “contact with everything” (quote from 22-yr-old Freja)
7. Experience greater mobility and flexibility
8. Show off the latest mobile gear or application for status or identity.
9. Customize mobile to express self – identity marker.
10. Fear being without it.
11. Need time away from it.
12. Seldom turn it off.
13. Send a brief text to let someone know they are thinking of them.
14. Beep to say “Hey I am here”
15. Bomb someone with endless calls to bully or harass.
16. Have codes for abbreviated words.
17. Are frequently interrupted by their own or other’s mobile.
18. Have access to television, internet, music, and games.
19. Experience stress from mobiles – with it and without it.
20. Experience a strong pull to reply even when it is socially inappropriate to do so.
21. Experience/learn mobile etiquette and protocol behaviors.
22. Like to keep in contact and experience psychological benefits.
23. Can “read between the lines” to detect meanings, moods, and emotions.
24. Control social situations by inviting or excluding contact with others.
25. Prevent unfriendly, unsafe or lonely situations.
26. Are physically present in one space and mentally present in another.
27. Share thoughts with friends.
28. Capture moments and document experiences.
29. Store memories.
30. Form personal attachments and associate greater meanings to the mobile.
… and there are many, many uses I haven’t listed.
Do you think mobile usage is increasing?
Yes. A report by the Kaiser Family Foundation says the average American youth, ages 8 to 18 spend an average of 7hours 38minutes A DAY using media for recreational activities or more than 53 hours a week. “The study found that mobile technologies such as cellphones and iPods are the main cause of the increase in time spent with digital media.” (see Michelle Davis’ "Heavy media activity linked to poor grades, Kaiser study finds") Though the study cautioned against a definitive cause-and-effect relationship between media use and poor grades, the results did show a connection between technology, education and overall healthy habits.
Do you think mobiles are more than phones?
Stald says yes: “the mobile has an immediate symbolic value to young users.” The symbolic value he refers to is the great facility mobiles provide for social development. The most popular uses of mobiles are communication, information, and entertainment. However, research has found mobile use is also closely related to self-identity and being able to mirror, reflect, and test one’s identity with others.
Conclusion: How will this affect the next generation?
Youth’s enthusiasm for technology and a genuine love affair with mobile phones means organizations need to think of ways to apply that enthusiasm to education and other worthwhile pursuits. Mobile phones are quickly becoming the powerful “all-in-one” portal to information and connectivity. Stald tells us to pay attention to the dual nature of mobile phones. Mobiles consolidate a social life, intimate experiences, relationships, and social networks all into a tiny plastic gizmo that fits in your pocket!
Kevin Woolley
References:
Stald, G. (2008). “Mobile Identity: Youth, Identity, and Mobile Communication Media." Youth, Identity, and Digital Media. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 143–164
Davis, M. (2010). Students Tap Mobile Tech. for Increased Media Use. Education Week, 29(19), 7.
Gitte Stald, from the University of Copenhagen, recognizes mobile phones as telephone-computer-camera devices with enough computing power to maneuver the internet, mail, music, photos, video, games, books, diary, alarm clock, GPS, anywhere the user goes. Stald echoes writer Mizuko Ito when he calls mobile phones “personal, portable, and pedestrian” devices primarily used for direct social connectivity. Stald also discusses the indirect social "duality" of mobile phone usage that goes beyond functional contact.
What does a mobile phone mean to the individual?
In "Mobile Identity: youth, identity, and mobile communication media" Stald's research with young adults suggests mobiles mean a lot of things.
Mobile phone users:
1. Are always available.
2. Are always capable of accessing information.
3. Can work anywhere at any time.
4. Have expanded (unlimited) choice of applications, music, games, etc.
5. Coordinate daily tasks, reminders, work/study appointments, social relationships, etc. 6. Have “contact with everything” (quote from 22-yr-old Freja)
7. Experience greater mobility and flexibility
8. Show off the latest mobile gear or application for status or identity.
9. Customize mobile to express self – identity marker.
10. Fear being without it.
11. Need time away from it.
12. Seldom turn it off.
13. Send a brief text to let someone know they are thinking of them.
14. Beep to say “Hey I am here”
15. Bomb someone with endless calls to bully or harass.
16. Have codes for abbreviated words.
17. Are frequently interrupted by their own or other’s mobile.
18. Have access to television, internet, music, and games.
19. Experience stress from mobiles – with it and without it.
20. Experience a strong pull to reply even when it is socially inappropriate to do so.
21. Experience/learn mobile etiquette and protocol behaviors.
22. Like to keep in contact and experience psychological benefits.
23. Can “read between the lines” to detect meanings, moods, and emotions.
24. Control social situations by inviting or excluding contact with others.
25. Prevent unfriendly, unsafe or lonely situations.
26. Are physically present in one space and mentally present in another.
27. Share thoughts with friends.
28. Capture moments and document experiences.
29. Store memories.
30. Form personal attachments and associate greater meanings to the mobile.
… and there are many, many uses I haven’t listed.
Do you think mobile usage is increasing?
Yes. A report by the Kaiser Family Foundation says the average American youth, ages 8 to 18 spend an average of 7hours 38minutes A DAY using media for recreational activities or more than 53 hours a week. “The study found that mobile technologies such as cellphones and iPods are the main cause of the increase in time spent with digital media.” (see Michelle Davis’ "Heavy media activity linked to poor grades, Kaiser study finds") Though the study cautioned against a definitive cause-and-effect relationship between media use and poor grades, the results did show a connection between technology, education and overall healthy habits.
Do you think mobiles are more than phones?
Stald says yes: “the mobile has an immediate symbolic value to young users.” The symbolic value he refers to is the great facility mobiles provide for social development. The most popular uses of mobiles are communication, information, and entertainment. However, research has found mobile use is also closely related to self-identity and being able to mirror, reflect, and test one’s identity with others.
Conclusion: How will this affect the next generation?
Youth’s enthusiasm for technology and a genuine love affair with mobile phones means organizations need to think of ways to apply that enthusiasm to education and other worthwhile pursuits. Mobile phones are quickly becoming the powerful “all-in-one” portal to information and connectivity. Stald tells us to pay attention to the dual nature of mobile phones. Mobiles consolidate a social life, intimate experiences, relationships, and social networks all into a tiny plastic gizmo that fits in your pocket!
Kevin Woolley
References:
Stald, G. (2008). “Mobile Identity: Youth, Identity, and Mobile Communication Media." Youth, Identity, and Digital Media. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 143–164
Davis, M. (2010). Students Tap Mobile Tech. for Increased Media Use. Education Week, 29(19), 7.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Fear Mongering or Common Sense
Evil on MySpace – children beware!
Are sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter any different than hanging out at malls, parking lots, or other places where kids used to go?
Are sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter any different than hanging out at malls, parking lots, or other places where kids used to go?
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20061091,00.html
The piece recounts one parent’s nightmare of a child predator trying to “befriend” her 12-year-old daughter which eventually led to a police arrest. This is one example why children need to be monitored when using the computer. Unfortunately, there are many sites like MySpace where children can be exposed to the seamier side of social networking. For those who haven’t heard of MySpace, it is an online community which offers a variety of tools and features for users to create personal pages, stay connected to one another by chatting, blogging and instant messaging. It also has groups and forums for just about any topic. The site is alluring to teens who may be bored or very curious to know what other people are posting. One of the big draws to MySpace is the need for young acults to voice opinions and then check to see what comments follow. This need to constantly check posts has become a problem to young adults and can even affect judgement in the "real" world.
Quote:
Common sense would say that social networking is not all bad. Most social Networking Sites like MySpace are monitored by employees, right?... However, things can slip through the net. Things like viruses, pirated music, pornography, and more can infect an innocent user in the fraction of a second it takes to push a button. It takes an active user base to bring attention to what content is acceptable and what is not. More users mean more things to take advantage of –both good and bad. Negligence should not be tolerated where child safety is a concern. Parents, teachers, and youth leaders must educate children of the potential dangers of online communication based upon the growing popularity and use of these types of websites.
Similar articles:
The piece recounts one parent’s nightmare of a child predator trying to “befriend” her 12-year-old daughter which eventually led to a police arrest. This is one example why children need to be monitored when using the computer. Unfortunately, there are many sites like MySpace where children can be exposed to the seamier side of social networking. For those who haven’t heard of MySpace, it is an online community which offers a variety of tools and features for users to create personal pages, stay connected to one another by chatting, blogging and instant messaging. It also has groups and forums for just about any topic. The site is alluring to teens who may be bored or very curious to know what other people are posting. One of the big draws to MySpace is the need for young acults to voice opinions and then check to see what comments follow. This need to constantly check posts has become a problem to young adults and can even affect judgement in the "real" world.
Quote:
“Geared for teens and young adults—20 percent of the site's visitors are between 14 and 17—MySpace owes much of its popularity to the fact that, unlike old-fashioned chat rooms, it allows members to upload photographs and video clips to their own pages and include information about themselves. But along with success MySpace has also generated considerable controversy. Crimes as serious as murder and rape have been linked to teens using the site, which has also become a preferred venue for cyber-bullies and online pedophiles. Kids have posted tales—and photos—of their alleged drinking and drug use. Even a casual visitor can quickly encounter raunchy, explicit sexual advice or memoirs. As a result, a growing number of schools around the country have blocked access to the site.”
Common sense would say that social networking is not all bad. Most social Networking Sites like MySpace are monitored by employees, right?... However, things can slip through the net. Things like viruses, pirated music, pornography, and more can infect an innocent user in the fraction of a second it takes to push a button. It takes an active user base to bring attention to what content is acceptable and what is not. More users mean more things to take advantage of –both good and bad. Negligence should not be tolerated where child safety is a concern. Parents, teachers, and youth leaders must educate children of the potential dangers of online communication based upon the growing popularity and use of these types of websites.
Similar articles:
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Danah Boyd reveals to us:
"If you're not on MySpace, you don't exist."
These words came from an 18 year old young woman who's sense of reality includes friends habitating the vast collective of cyberspace.
The internet site "MySpace" is a tool for expression and experimentation as documented by Boyd in the article "Why Youth (heart) Social Network Sites." Social networking is technology that's changing society by providing today's youth with an audience never before offered so easily or cheaply. When we talk about changes within society - we mean rapid changes; the kind that occur quickly from one generation to the next. I am a father with a teenage daughter. Between the both of us, online social networking has two different meanings and, more importantly, two very different "pulls."
"If you're not on MySpace, you don't exist."
These words came from an 18 year old young woman who's sense of reality includes friends habitating the vast collective of cyberspace.
The internet site "MySpace" is a tool for expression and experimentation as documented by Boyd in the article "Why Youth (heart) Social Network Sites." Social networking is technology that's changing society by providing today's youth with an audience never before offered so easily or cheaply. When we talk about changes within society - we mean rapid changes; the kind that occur quickly from one generation to the next. I am a father with a teenage daughter. Between the both of us, online social networking has two different meanings and, more importantly, two very different "pulls."
1. I think that
I think that within social networks there are infinite number of levels of communicative options and an equally infinite number of communicative audiences. Teenagers who use the technology must quickly learn how to navigate and control the great and far-reaching power of communication through manipulation of accessibility features. (pages 123-126)
2. I see that
I see that the users learn about “audiences” and manipulate the “boundaries of audience” through the MySpace tools.
3. I feel that
The generation gap perceives social networking differently. Parents view mass media as “viewers” with little or no control over content (control may mean switching from watching the news to their favorite TV program). Teenagers view mass media as “participants” with greater control over content (control may mean authoring a MySpace page or posting comments on other public pages). The differences occur due to changes of media technology (TV versus computer) which in turn affect the social/cultural dependence upon these technologies.
Teens listen to their friends more than their parents. Well, thanks to cites like MySpace, that group just got a little bit bigger...
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)