Scott W. Campbell, Yong Jin Park, 2008
University of Michigan
Like the television in the 1950s and the Internet in the 1990s, mobile telephony has emerged as one of the defining communication technologies of our time (Castells et al. 2007). Mobile subscriptions are well into the billions worldwide and growing. Not surprisingly, the burgeoning adoption and use of mobile communication technology contributes to a host of social consequences, including new representations of the self, new forms of social connection, and private use of public space.
The age of personal communication technologies, exemplified by the widespread adoption and use of mobile telephony, is a nuance and accession of the network society of the 1990s. Personal communication technologies are distinctive from other network technologies (e.g. the computer) in that they are often worn on body, highly individualized, and regarded as extensions of the self.
The proliferation of mobile phones and other wearable media has challenged traditional conceptualizations of the relationship between communication technology and the body. Mobile phones are unique from most other interactive media because they can be worn on the body. Laptops are portable, as are mobile phones, but there is an important distinction to be made between portability and wearability. Both offer increased flexibility in where and when one can connect with others; however, the latter affords communication while physically in motion, which contributes to the personalization of the mobile telephony.
Internet and other technologies have played an important role in the shifting meaning of space and time, as have other changes in social life such as urbanization, suburbanization, etc. However, mobile communication has taken the personalization of space and time to new levels as individuals exploit the flexibility afforded by the technology through micro-coordination.
