My father read the Encyclopedia Britannica from cover to cover – several times. He cared about the value of having knowledge with him, so consuming it was his only option. The benefit for him was about social status, as few could match his memory.
So one aspect of mobile culture that I was originally surprised by, and am rediscovering in refreshing new ways almost every week as it evolves, is how much “knowledge at my fingertips” is becoming a social grace. Knowledge is an open commodity, and fetching some on-the-go to animate a social situation appears to be as natural as a hand gesture, and a growing equal-opportunity trend.
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A pleasant surprise in technology is the increasing accessiblity of language. Against many critics of pop music to say that the English language is being diluted with poor grammatical use, that the vernacular and vocabulary use is becoming simpler and ‘dumber’, Scientific American wants to re-emphasize that simpler lyrics does not necessarily mean worse.
(See article here about how lyrics are becoming repetitive: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/song-lyrics-really-are-getting-simpler-and-more-repetitive-study-finds/)
I think with technology, the forms, the methods, and the mediums in which we use to communicate ideas with one another has become increasing complex. Music, for example, is transferred at rates that are arguably faster than just simple speech, as songs continue to be used to express a variety of emotions that transcend language.
(See article here about the increasing universality of music: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/01/music-may-transcend-cultural-boundaries-to-become-universally-human/)
I think that these new forms of communicate will take place of speech as pictures or memes are used over text, and how video formats of capturing ideas and thoughts continue to be used ever increasingly in classroom spaces and at dinner tables.
Further to this trend in communication, is the related hive-mind of humour and insight used in commenting. There’s definitely a interesting dynamic in the post vs comments arena, often with commentors expressing the popular opinion or alternative takes. Commenting can be ruthless, hilarious and expressive, and like you mentioned often accomplished with the perfect meme or emoji.
As you note regarding music, I personally love the incorporation of music and sound clips in TikTok and reels, which reinforces trends and themes and ideas. It’s an extremely effective method of cultural convergence and transcends language barriers.
I our media-centred cultural world, music is the epicentre of “knowledge at my fingertips.” In fact, as Nicole and Alan touched on, music is part of the new media world. It allows familiarity and connection to commonly shared ideas and notions. It is part of the new digital currency. As the encyclopedia was deemed as most informed, music and social media replace books. They have the abilities to translate and demonstrate new ways of learning. These forms of understanding are now mostly in satire and build upon memic humour to connect to the main topics of the world. I wonder if that tells us or reflects upon our capacity to process new information. But I can also see that this informality is a certain practice and can lead to either re-education or a weaker education. I think in the real world today, we need both forms of understanding and learning. We still need books, databases and formal ways of learning in conjunction to new media, and modern ways of academic expression.
A lot of the trends people appreciate in modern mobile culture (such as communities, DIY resources, online shopping, etc.) had their origins in pre-mobile internet. What I think is a positive surprise with mobile is moving these from “things I do on the computer” to “things I engage with when I need/want them.”
When I first went to university I was excited to find a mailing list of saxophone players – growing up in a small town, I didn’t know anyone else who played, so this was a revelation. I’d log into the university network in the evening, using a dial up modem. Whenever I wanted to play my saxophone, I’d go downstairs to one of the music rooms, far from my computer. Were I back in the same situation now, I’d be able to use my phone as a resource while playing, checking resources, listening to examples or uploading a video for feedback.
In general, that seems to be one of the best trends of mobile: we bring our resources with us to when/where we need them.
Devon,
This is a really excellent point, and something that I was thinking about as I read through some older posts on the topic of Mobile Culture today. I use a variety of Facebook groups to support my running hobby (or habit, my wife would likely say). It struck me that in “The Early Days”, I would have had to put up a post on a message board seeking some sort of advice, or running companion, or information about an event. Now, I have a variety of active and passive ways to do these same things that is incredibly available, and responsive.
Using the Facebook groups and associated Messenger chats, I can get the information or make the connections I need in very short order. These attempts to connect or exchange ideas, or meet up become ongoing conversations that can be monitored or altered anywhere, at any time. This allows the inclusion of more people, consideration of more options, and fine-tuning for things like ability level, safety, and other concerns that would have been secondary (or ignored) in the past.
Strava is another tool whose contribution to my life is a very real, and organic form of mobile culture. I can actively or passively see the details of others’ activities, and they mine, if we so choose. I can learn small details about their techniques and running habits and routes, that allow me to plan with them or create my own plans. When I meet the people I run with, I have usually interacted with them to some degree online and we have a shared understanding that facilitates our activity.
To piggyback off of this conversation about bringing our resources with us, I find myself using Google Lens more and more in real life situations. I see in previous posts it was described as a way to translate in real time and I fully agree, but I was recently travelling in Europe for the first time and despite packing a paperback copy of Rick Steves travel guide to Rome, Google Lens was relied on significantly more for recommendations. I found myself using Google Lens to identify food, translation of menus, locations, and historical monuments so I could learn more about them in real time, and the accuracy was impressive even when it was a partial image. At home I also use it for things such as identifying plants when I’m on a walk/hike among other things.
Hoping to keep this conversation going yet again and add my own application of “bringing resources with us where/when we want them” in my surfing experience. With mobile apps, even when we are camping, we can check the current weather, wind, and swell conditions. This would determine not only which area we set out to for a trip, but also which specific beach we go to that day or even that morning; for example, we will make a trip to Tofino when the swell looks good for the weekend, then we will specify a beach like Long Beach or Cox Bay depending on the swell and wind direction for a morning or afternoon. This is great because it means we are more likely to find good surf and not waste time and energy.
Like Richard and Sam mentioned, the ability to bring your apps and technologies wherever you need them can help to connect you with resources and also people. But with surfing it is kind of funny, we want to be connected with the resources, like forecasts and best waves, but not too much with people: we would love to have more of an empty beach to surf. Realistically, everyone with the access to the same mobile technology as us, which is almost every surfer, would realize which beach is the best beach to surf. This also makes me wonder if mobile technologies are making it so easy or convenient for people to access that adventure and tourism locations are becoming clogged. Or maybe this just makes “secret spots” more special to the locals which haven’t been mapped out yet by mobile technologies.
One pleasantly surprising trend that I have learned to appreciate is the way in which generations Y, Z and Alpha use collaboration tools embedded in social media as a form of storytelling in a much more inclusive manner than past generations. While older, more traditional generations may inevitably highlight stereotypes of younger folks as lazy, self-centered snowflakes, they often forego their own emotional repressive, environmental destructive narcissists – allegedly. These social transitions in what is politically acceptable in one’s personal character may exhibit tendencies that push existing boundaries of what is digitally expected in an online environment. The Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Decolonisation, and Anti-Racism (EDIDA) movement is embedded in an invitation for people beating to a pluralistic pulse which veers towards unprecedented collective benefits. The vulnerable become more empowered to transgress traditional power structures through social media expression. These more transparent narratives are essential conversations acting as necessary gateways to welcome more equitable space. This transgression is not automatic but must be supported daily by a bottom-up microcosm of active, democratic users.
I agree with this sense of community building that seems to be so much stronger and more amplified amongst generation Y, Z, and Alpha. They use technology (arguably intuitively) in ways that focus on forging relationships amongst one another. The comaderie that seems to be so natural amongst digital natives online is fascinating though, in which I find the disconnect starts to show when they interact in person. That the amount of interactions online seem to stifle the younger generation to be able to socialize in more conventional ways, especially connecting with the older generation.
To this day, I still recall that one of the most important skills to teach children is the ability to conversate with older peers, adults, and elders. This is something that is an issue for our current society today until technology becomes ubiquitous and society’s proficiency amongst the generation begins to homogenize. For the meantime, I still feel one big issue with the collectivistic nature of the younger generation is the disconnect from the older generation, and the loss of wisdom that is occuring because of this disconnect.
(An article related to the above thoughts, in regards to what we can learn from the older generation(s): https://scholars.direct/Articles/nursing/jnp-3-031.php?jid=nursing)
One of the most pleasantly surprising trends in mobile culture is the widespread use of translation apps. With a simple click, you can connect to any part of the world.
Back in 1995, when my family first immigrated to Canada, almost all my Asian friends from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea had electric translators. These devices were crucial as second language learning tools; a second language learner could not survive without them.
Today, understanding content in a foreign language is just a click away. Your dream country and culture are at your fingertips. For example, if you’re in Hong Kong for dim sum but don’t know how to order the food, you can take a photo of the menu, and your iTranslate Translator or Google Lens will help you read it.
Here are 10 best translation apps to use while traveling: https://geekflare.com/best-translation-apps-for-traveling/ and
6 best translator apps for language learners: https://www.hitpaw.com/video-tips/best-translator-apps.html
Translation APPS may be invaluable for travel and immigration, but are the learning affordances of these digital devices being maximized? Having taught English internationally as well as domestically in Canada for the last 25 years, I have witnessed the evolution of tech supported cognitive struggles to communicate. Nowadays, students simply take photos of a reading text and it is ‘magically’ translated into ones language of choice, thus bypassing any need to converse and do the dirty work of using the language and making mistakes. As a social constructivist language educator, I believe deconstructive dialogue is an essential first step in creating neural networks for language processing. And mistakes are a growth mindset learners best friend. If juvenile thinking and speaking tasks are replaced by language learning apps, which definitely may certainly be the case with direct translation technology, what leg-work is the human brain doing to remember these tasks? Does Blooms Taxonomy need a new shape to represent innovative transhuman brain computer interaction?
While I was living in China, mobile translation and dictionary apps really helped me break out of the English-only, foreigner networks and explore the country on my own. I was learning Mandarin but still at a beginner level, so it was very easy for me to get beyond my competence; having a translation program as a back up was what gave me the confidence to start going out alone and navigating the language and culture. If I ever got seriously stuck, I always had technical backup.
Although it’s easy to jump to translation tools in conversation, I found it actually made me work harder as a student of the language. I’d made a few friends who spoke no English at all, so my Mandarin would get lots of practice. I’d use apps to help with difficult words or concepts but it was obviously a slower and inferior way to communicate, so I spent more time studying. Translations also have limitations, and as my knowledge of the language increased the translations were actually more useful. For example, I had a friend use the word 文，which my phone translated as “culture.” However, other meanings include “education,” which is what was meant. By spending time learning the language methodically, I could see instances like this and understand what was meant from context.
Mobile culture has fostered the development of online communities and support networks. Social media platforms, forums and apps enable individuals to connect with like-minded people, share experiences and offer support. The sense of community and belonging in the digital space was one aspect of mobile culture that surprised me.
I really enjoy joining online learning rooms. These virtual spaces provide a supportive environment for individuals pursuing educational goals. Discord is a popular communication platform, which itself was introduced to me while playing vedio games, and the revealed that it also hosts numerous study group servers. These servers are organized into different channels, each dedicated to a specific topic or theme. Members can voice chat or text chat, ask questions and share resources while studying. There are also online learning rooms that mimic a library environment. Participants join a virtual library space with quiet study areas and shared tables. Many online learning rooms follow the Pomodoro Sessions which is very effective in promoting concentration and productivity in learning.
In a society where everyone carries a device that can record video and make it available via social media almost instantly, we are starting to see accountability in areas where previously there was none. An example is the way in which police are being held accountable for egregious behaviour – in a pre-mobile age it would have been a case of an officer’s word against that of a ‘suspect’, but with ubiquitous mobile video it has become less easy for law enforcement officers to exceed their authority without consequence. The cultural trend of recording police interactions *before* they become problematic offers the possibility that it will rein in the worst excesses of some officers, and promote a broader culture of accountability and respect. .
Accountability for one’s actions due to personal video and audio surveillance is also shifting victim shame and guilt to perpetrator role and responsibility. Closed camera TV in offices, residential buildings and public streets are also recording video corroborating stories of the historically vulnerable and disenfranchised. Take, for example, a recent video release of Sean Combs, aka P Diddy, beating his partner.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/17/entertainment/sean-combs-cassie-ventura/index.html
Historically, powerful men have been venerated snd revered while women have been hystericized and lobodomized. Smart Cities and the Internet of things (IOT) may serve to deliver more peace and justice, or algorithms may be programmed by the rich and powerful to maintain traditional social oppression. Where will future liberties lie?
I would like to look at this from the other direction. While there are benefits, where do people get to have privacy? If we put a camera on every street and capture people at every moment, will that reduce crime or still feed into the racial biases that exist in today’s world?
Additionally, with the way AI is moving, it could be programmed to specifically look for people who fit a certain description. Yes, those could be from the BIPOC community, or they could specifically target white men above the age of 35. In my opinion, neither are acceptable, however, that is the way the world is going in. If you take a look at the film Eagle Eye, it takes this idea of Smart Cities and smart cars and really puts everything into perspective. Personally, I think this does more harm than good and really infringes on people’s rights.
Jasmine
For me, a pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture is the ability to video call anyone for however long we like. I remember crowding around the PC while we attempted to Zoom call relatives, and we were happy if it worked for 5 minutes before it cut off (possibly because someone picked up the phone). The ability to be on the go and see our relatives and loved ones whenever we want is still kind of mindblowing.
Something I have been pleasantly surprised by about Mobile Technology is how easy it is to find in-depth videos ranging from how something works to DIY videos. I have started getting into cooking again, and I was surprised how many recipes there were and also how many videos went covered even the more difficult steps in preparing the foods. Furthermore, as someone who really liked learning about geography growing up, I have been surprised by how many videos can be found about obscure places on YouTube or more professional works on streaming platforms.
I appreciate how usable the notes app on iPhones can be! It allows for the creation of lists, grids, addition of images, and free drawing with a stilo. There are many allowable actions for what you can do with the created note afterwards, including sending it to someone, saving it as an image, uploading it to a platform, or deleting it. I find it useful to make use of the notes app when I am running errands!
One surprising trend that I see in social media is that many influencers are becoming more honest about how pictures and videos are staged. While they continue to post pictures of themselves, in the best of circumstances, there is much more talk about body positivity for all people. Changing the narrative from bragging to simply a celebration of success, lowers the bar for people who want to start making healthier choices.
The more people who like positive, healthy content, the more it will be recommended to everybody.
One of the most pleasant surprises in mobile technology is the number of people using apps like Duolingo to learn new languages, or relearn ones they have forgotten.
As a musician, I have been pleasantly surprised by the growing number of mobile apps that are aimed at helping people to learn instruments. A few years ago I stumbled upon an app called Yousician, and upon giving it a try, I genuinely was quite pleasantly surprised. To give a bit of context (that will likely land best for those born in the late 80’s, early 90’s, like myself) the app uses visuals quite similar to the Guitar Hero games, but instead of using a guitar controller, like Guitar Hero, you are able to play along with an actual instrument, and follow notes on your actual guitar. The lessons range from absolute beginner, to ridiculously talented guitarist, and as someone who had been playing guitar for ten or more years, I still found it extremely valuable.
What I think is so smart, and wonderful about apps aimed at teaching instruments, is the ease in which a mobile device can facilitate this pursuit (at least in the case of guitar). To use the app I experimented with, all I needed was a guitar, a mobile phone, and some headphones. No additional chords, or the use of a guitar amp. The simplicity was quite appealing, and the gamified, visual nature of Yousician made me want to practice even the most mundane guitar techniques. It was such a logical and intuitive cross over, that it was hard not to say “huh, why didn’t I think of that!”
One aspect of mobile culture that I was surprised by is the rise of audiobook apps and the increased positive views on listening to books. I used to be a little embarrassed to tell people I listened to a book, it felt like I was cheating somehow (similar to the feeling of watching the movie adaptation of a book without reading the book). The increase in respect for rich oral traditions coupled with the increase in mobile technology use in the form of audiobooks, podcasts, ted talks etc. is removing the stigma associated with auditory learning.
I am an avid “listener”. Whether it is a long drive, meticulous studio work or boring housework, I always have an audio book on hand. I often explain to people that an audio book is not cheating, but rather frees my hands for other activities. When engaging with a book, the creative part of my brain is creating visual images based on how my brain interprets the words – this process does not change by listening, however some books seem richer when narrator is the author ( Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer) or when an accent or nationality adds to the pronunciation of words ( A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry).
This creative process of actively imagining and picturing a story is why, so often, a book will seem much better a movie. My casting of characters is usually much better than any Hollywood director, but most importantly more personal and rooted in my personal connections to a story.
https://time.com/5388681/audiobooks-reading-books/
Copy this link to see an interesting article published in Time about this subject!
Hi Vithu,
I am exactly the same as you and although I have been an active listener for years now (every since I discovered I could listen to books and podcasts while I was commuting on my motorcycle for my two hours of daily commuting) and like you, I also felt a little embarrassed and like I was cheating on the actual written text of the book. But now I think of it as an opportunity to do something I just simply wouldn’t have time for otherwise. I had not made it through a full book since the birth of my second child and I was desperate to read as I had in the past. Listening to a book has become a highly enjoyable activity for me now and lets me feel like I am accomplishing something. As it has been mentioned in other posts, oral storytelling is an important part of First Nations and Indigenous peoples traditional arts and sadly, is something that has been lost in recent times. I think we can call audio books a modern, mobile version of the ancient art of oral story-telling and appreciate them as something traditional with a modern technological twist!
One pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture is the supportive microcosms that emerge around specific topics, all with people who are willing to dedicate their time to supporting complete strangers online. Throughout the pandemic, I started to dabble in woodworking, but was completely unsure how to move forward with a project I was working on. Even consulting multiple online guides, I needed further guidance so I posted on an online forum. Multiple users had responded to my post, helping with measurements, giving advice on techniques, and even developing plans for me to follow. There is a niche for every subject interest and people who are willing to be supportive of those who are learning.
Hi Braden, glad you had a positive experience with the online forum. I bet you asked the right question on the right forum, where followers are more attuned to woodworking. I feel like participatory culture has really greatly impacted the online community. Many people are more than willing to share their experience and expertise. To some extent, I feel like the valuable and meaningful information people share online could be considered open-source information that’s readily available to anyone who has mobile devices and WIFI. Other than YouTube, what are some other platforms you use to add value to your learning?
Braden, the DIY mobile culture has proven to be very accepting and helpful for every type of reno project you can imagine. The one site though that has gained a lot of popularity showcases “How do I Dad?” and speaks to a large range of audiences which is a surprising trend. https://www.youtube.com/c/DadhowdoI
I am glad you were able to get useful tips.
A pleasant aspect of mobile technology is shopping for clothes online. Shopping online can be anywhere and anytime without the need to drive your car to go to the mall, you can even buy from brands that don’t exist in your country. Aside from accessibility to various shopping apps, micro-expression is very important for me while shopping. I can see reviews, pictures, and rates from other people that bought the same clothing article which is impossible to exist in a real-life store.
Great point, Maria. I’ve also found that micro-expression is very useful when buying things online. I guess the equivalent for this in a “real life” situation would be word of mouth, however, it would be very difficult to reach the numbers we do in the online world. In amazon, many products have over 2k reviews and I find that very useful when comparing items for a purchase.
While it is an advantage to be able to view hundreds and sometimes thousands, of reviews, photos, videos, and ratings, nothing compares to a person’s own ”permanent, hardwired, visual app” for scrutinizing merchandise and analyzing the data our incredible brains get first hand from sensory input such as how the texture feels, the exact shade of color (in case of apparel), or the smell (in case of perfumes or lotions…) I mean, who would want to buy a perfume or a shower gel based only on other people’s opinions? I find online reviews and ratings especially helpful in the case of electronic or appliances, items that you can’t know for sure their quality and whether they suit your purposes or needs unless they are tried over an extended period of time. An interesting topic that comes to mind here is the credibility social media influencers gain based on their honest reviews of items. How many honest influencers are there? And how many are willing to sell you absolute trash just for the money? It is clear that consumer awareness and wisdom is significantly much more needed in the digital age and online shopping era.
This is a really great point Safaa, while I do love to browse multitudes of reviews, photos, ratings, etc. It is very difficult to know if you are getting accurate, honest information and another important point to consider is the perspective of the reviewers opinions/standards and how closely it aligns with what you might get out of or think of a product. One person’s 5 start ratings might be another’s 2 stars and I always ponder about whether there is any point in having so many reviews at our fingertips when everyone is coming from completely different backgrounds/demographics. Each to their own, as they say.
Yes, technology enabled us to find quick and less time-consuming solutions. When I had my son, I ordered almost everything online. It helped me a lot, although I am not the type of person who depends on ordering online. I had to get so many errors in my orders until I actually learned how to choose, compare prices and order the correct sizes.
What I find amazing is how people can control smart homes via their mobile devices. If someone’s really into the smart home setup, then they could pre-heat their electrical vehicles using mobile devices, then use voice control to auto-pilot the EV. And by the time they get home, the AC is turned on before they walk into the room, and the smart Fridge may have a cup of ice-cold water sitting aside to be enjoyed. There are many more to explore with smart home devices. And the trend is these devices are expected to be accessible via mobile devices like smartphones, smartwatches, iPads etc.
Yes, this is pretty impressive and we can expect more from it in the future. My sister and her husband use this a lot and I was impressed by it. Many appliances in the house were synced and they could control them by simply speaking to the system.
It’s incredible, isn’t it? I feel like smart home devices are more pricey than regular products. For instance, a smart Bluetooth LED light bulb costs $58.97 before taxes on an online shopping platform. That set a barrier for some families who are more price-sensitive. Hopefully, by the time when the demand is greater, then the costs of smart home devices can be lowered. I surely hope that day comes sooner.
Yes, I can imagine that we’ll see prices dropping significantly in the next couple of years as this is what often happens with technologies that become a part of everyday living. I think this will also depend on how essential these become for living as now they are in the “great but not necessary” category I would say! How do you imagine this could become essential? Perhaps if they become a part of working more efficiently?
Hi Eduardo, I’m inclined to believe essential items will reveal themselves by market demand. A simple illustration would be how electrical home appliances became highly demanded by households, like coffee machines, refrigerators, televisions and many more. They were not as popular or let’s say non-existent before electricity was first introduced. What I’m trying to say is the infrastructures are crucial, same as consumers demand. To a large degree, they complement one another.
In this case for smart home devices, I think they enjoy a great potential of entering into the majority of households. When? Perhaps when the infrastructure is more sophisticated, or when the price range comes down to highly affordable.
My son has a career teaching metal fabrication on YouTube. He has been uploading videos taken on a phone for about one year. His wife edits the videos using Canva and some other apps while on a couch with her IPad. Video editing used to be thought of as extremely technical, and I am sure that for animations and high production value movies, it still is. But it is now possible for anyone to create videos and upload them for public viewing. Everyone can create and publish without extensive training. The potential to reach thousands or millions of people with content is in the hands of anyone with a smartphone. https://www.youtube.com/c/MakeItKustom
That’s so interesting! I love how careers have changed with the advancement of technology, makes me think even further about the future and how our children would have careers that we can’t even imagine now. Thanks for sharing the YouTube channel Tamaka!
A pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture are the apps supporting women menstrual health. Although schools do cover the mandatory curriculum health topics, there are large gaps between the knowledge taught and the knowledge women should know about their menstrual health. A well designed app, Flo, is a great app to track periods, pregnancies, daily cycles, and to get insight into why your body may be reacting the way it is. The app includes several excerpts from doctors that can answer questions that women may have about their bodies. I learned more information about women’s cycles than I had in my entire life. I find this to be encouraging for women of all ages, especially those who are young and are trying to understand their bodies when it can be an uncomfortable conversation with parents.
This sounds like a very convenient and helpful app! It’s great how technology can keep us informed and organized. I imagine people from the past looking at this and being amazed at how this helps women. I also wonder how might this evolve in the future and be able to provide even better user experiences.
Totally, Megan. Using apps like the Health app on IOS provides this feature of cycle tracking, which is helpful when communicating with your doctor in terms of unusual symptoms or even fertility. Often doctors ask questions about past cycles and these apps have provided women with the ease of tracking indicators throughout their cycle, which could provide life-saving information when trying to diagnose cervical, ovarian or uterine cancer.
For me, the pleasant surprise is the possibility of counting your steps with your phone without really needing a pedometer or any other mobile device. After reading that walking 10,000 steps a day is great for my health, I find myself looking more and more at my “Health” app and being satisfied or not with my walking during the day. I don’t feel any stress or pressure, but by comparing the different daily, weekly or monthly statistics, I set myself goals and go out for a walk more often. My average for 2021 is 9455 steps per day, I’m at 14277 for 2022! Another good reason to ALWAYS have my phone on me. 😉
Thanks for sharing, Sebastian. This is a good way of keeping track of your health and setting goals, which is rewarding. May I ask what app you use? I would like to track my steps too!
Agreed! I find counting steps to be a great active challenge throughout the day. In the apple fitness app, you can challenge your friends to a step competition, which not only makes fitness social, but rewarding!
Your average step count is commendable. However, I noticed discrepancies in the registered steps and the distance when using my phone pedometer. It also kept tracking even when I was riding in a vehicle, which is logical since it senses forward-backward motion and measures vibrations. Zandwijk and Bostas (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diin.2019.01.021) found that carrying location, walking speed, and walking style could cause deviations up to 40% in the app’s reported values. While the information may be challenged as forensic evidence, understanding its reliability allows me to use the app more consistently and deduct any steps gained from vehicle travel.
A pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture for me is mobile banking, specifically depositing a cheque with a picture. I purchase many things for my classroom and I get reimbursed from the school. I never thought that I would just snap a picture of a cheque and be able to deposit and have access to my funds right away and shred the cheque. I really like how this eliminates the unnecessary trips to the bank.
Yes, impressive! This reminds me of an app I used the other day in which I didn’t have to input my credit card’s information through texting, but just took a picture of the card and all information was retrieved. Another similar app I used lately was one that scanned my driver’s license through a picture and converted all information on it into text. I wonder if in the future phones will scan different information from our bodies and what would be the security issues involved in that.
The trend in mobile banking is pleasantly surprising. As well as taking photos of cheques, I have been pleased with being able to pay by email e-transfer. I think this has greatly impacted the convenience of buying and selling used items in online marketplaces like Facebook, Kijiji, and Craigslist.
I was so surprised when I opened an account back in February and they told me I could retrieve or deposit money with nothing but a QR code. So if I had my phone, but not my wallet, it wouldn’t matter. It kind of scared me a little as well, but found it pretty cool.
From personal experience, after these last two months living in Vancouver, I am pleasantly surprised by two trends:
1. Online grocery shopping. I’ve been using a very convenient app called Instacart. It allows me to save time, money, and has features that enhance user experience. Highly recommended!
2. Phone wallet. When I do go to the grocery store for some live-action, I’ve been using Apple wallet and find it very convenient for practical and sanitary reasons. Perhaps physical cards will disappear one day after all.
Online grocery shopping is extremely convenient! Similarly, so is the Starbucks app! However, I find that this makes me spend more money as it is right at my fingertips and easy to pickup. Therefore, I am noticing my VISA bill quite high in mobile purchases.
Yes! Thanks for pointing that out, Megan. I’ve also noticed that these technologies can be tempting for buying more items than usual! The way in which they are designed contributes to this also, as they recommend you products, show you offers, etc.
not to mention the extra fees you have to pay when you use app: delivery, tips, fees for the app itself. Depending on how long your trip to the grocery store is, sometimes driving there or even walking if possible saves money and allows you to score more walking steps 🙂
Doordashnow sends pop up messages to users who do not tip. if Tips are not given at the outset, pop ups within the APP explaining that orders without tips will take longer: https://www.thespruceeats.com/doordash-new-tipping-policy-8400908#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20if%20a%20driver,deliver%20it%20to%20you%20ASAP.
A surprising trend is the increased level of collaboration tools available for users (most of them are free of cost!). With the amount of productivity related mobile apps/tech available, I feel I’m more efficient than ever as I’m able to work on the go while staying updated on various things. It’s so easy to share/create info with various IM apps, PDF scanners, e-signatures and communication methods. You don’t even need to carry a laptop around to stay productive in this day and age which is a pleasant surprise (still remember the ancient days when we had to physically sit down to check our emails/messages on MSN/ICQ)
Hi John. Yes – this is true. Not so long ago I remember being in a waiting line to get some papers done at a government office. In those two hours, I got a lot of work done for a MET project, interacted with my students, and did other duties. This is definitely something great about mobile technologies, and a positive time-efficient way in which they can be used. While we could talk about the negative outcomes such as people using their phones to escape reality, we definitely have positive outcomes that improve our lives.
I totally agree with your message, John. We can be more productive, working from wherever we are, and it can be a huge time-saver. It’s funny though because, although I seriously love having Google Maps to help me get places, I do sometimes miss using a map. Although having the technology available to us doesn’t mean we can’t use older methods of getting things done, but it doesn’t feel as efficient.
I am also pleasently surprised about the health apps. Mental health apps – called Headspace, Clue – a period tracking app, Noom – a healthy eating app, Fitness + for Apple Watch users, Smoke-free apps, Sleep-cycle alarm clock, Deliciously Ella – plant based recipes, but the one that I want to acknowledge is the fact that we are able to have more equity in representation for health apps. Exhale – an emotional well-being app for and by black, indigenous women of colour (BIWOC). They advertise the space as including key features like meditations, guided imaging, breath work, coaching talks and affirmations. It is incredible that we are moving towards space that celebrates and allows everyone to be recognized and have community and culture representation.
A pleasantly surprising trend is the creation and usage of different health applications that are bringing notice to the differing needs in society whether it be audio books for those who are slow readers or cannot read, or mental health apps such as Calm and Rootd that supports mindfulness or anxiety. Historically, these different health needs were ignored or even felt burdened for politicians. So to see them at the forefront of many applications is a great ongoing trend and I say surprising because of our history in ignoring these needs.
I’m pleasantly surprised by how smartphone cameras (and social media) can be used as tools for social justice. We now live in a society where virtually any bystander can create globally impacting content with just a phone and an internet connection.
At the same time Aaron, I am concerned about the armchair or keyboard warriors who are not using this technology for the good of humanity. Just a phone can spread bullying and harassment across a communities social network so quickly. How do we impact this aspect of social justice?
One pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture was Pokemon Go. The app fostered a sense of community despite being a game that catered to strangers of all ages, ranging from youth to even seniors. During gym battles and raids, people have to band together to accomplish goals. It also integrated the outdoors well with technology, allowing people to play and be outside at the same time. https://pokemongolive.com/en/
Although I remember there being some crazy stories that came out of Pokémon Go, I remember thinking how this was such a fun way to connect with random people and have fun while using our mobile devices. At the time too, I agree, it was a fun way to have a mobile technology encourage you to spend time outside.
A pleasantly surprising rend in mobile culture is the digital wallet. It is fast, convenient, and contactless. To me, it has profoundly changed my shopping habits. I enjoy not carrying all my cards or cash, and it was easier for me to track my spending. I also view it as a tool to teach students about financial literacy since I believe this is going to be an inevitable trend that will change our lives in the future.
Was talking with a friend about this, this past weekend, as we reflected on certain challenges in some parts of the world around women’s rights, religious freedom, and LGBTQ rights. His thoughts are that with increased access to knowledge, world views, and ways of life in different places that change is happening, and more and more people are able to live and interact together as themselves in an equitable way. Certainly, I agree that this is indeed happening. One just needs to look to the Arab Spring to see the changes that mobile learning and sharing brought about in Egypt. And from a North American perspective, the US people are no longer limited in their perspectives by news that only shared what was happening in the US and American movies sharing the perspectives of them as the heroes saving the world. Having said this, this does present it own problems, often in the form of the manipulation of the story to suit the teller’s agenda; as well as published content with limited to no fact checking. As such people often believe they know and understand the story or a culture, without affirming that their sources are credible. And as I learned in Egypt’s 2013 revolution, what was being reported to me from mainstream news sources in North America that this was a military coup, was very different from what my journalist friends from Finland, France, and Egypt were reporting to me – all of whom were on the ground in Cairo – that this was the military stepping up to help the Egyptian people who were losing their rights and freedoms at a rapid rate. So while the internet is a wonderful resource for knowledge, viewers need to be discerning and aware of the source, and of the perspective of that source. This is why both media literacy and critical thinking are so important to teach.
Hi Erica, I couldn’t agree with you more. I also find myself thinking about how mobile technologies create the ability for disadvantaged populations to express themselves and build community. Here in China, many of the same groups you talk about are using mobile technologies to grow their communities, advertise events and promote spaces for self-expression. Through such actions, they have slowly begun to empower themselves and find more recognition in greater society. However, as you mention later in your post. I also worry about how perspectives are manipulated to convey specific messages based on national interests, control and politics. Looking at the portrayal of global events here in China and comparing coverage of the same events in Canada or America is like reading two completely different stories. For example, the coverage of the recent trial and release of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, using sources from both within China and outside China, it would be difficult to discern what exactly the real story is.
You are indeed getting an interesting perspective with living in China at the moment, Graham. In that bent too, the people in China also have similar struggles in sharing their stories with the rest of the world, as was the case in Egypt, where media blackouts have been known to occur at such times, limiting the flow of information out of the country. Gives one new realisations around media literacy, and how difficult it is to get unbiased and accurate information on current events, even from mainstream news sources.
This past week, my step-mother passed away. With this event came the long list of things to be done for my grieving dad. This topic of mobility seems fitting because of what it allowed us to do. Technology made this time less taxing for my dad. His wife was able to say final good-byes to friends and family from her bed through her iPad, my dad had a virtual doctor appointment, we taught him to use online banking and e-transfer, we signed digital documents, we re-homed belongings through FB and Varagsale, ordered groceries on line, arranged for piano movers, and we were even able to find a place for him to live in, so he could downsize and retire. Now this involved my sister and I, doing the navigating, but it allowed my dad to just be at home and process without having to take on the world at the same time. When I look at all that was accomplished in this short time, I know that technology has been a gift. It gave my dad the gift of time and space during a terrible time.
I am so sorry to hear about your stepmom, Grace. Your reflections here are telling. I am quite amazed at how much you were able to do for your dad in such a short period of time, Grace.
A Pleasantly Surprising Trend in Mobile Culture… for me has been the popularity of augmented reality in video chat platforms.
My daughter turned 2 just after lockdowns started in our community and unfortunately, my parents and in-laws live 2hrs and 8hrs away. At first, my daugther didn’t really care for video chats with family. As the 1st and only grandchild, you can probably imagine how heartbreaking this was. But then Facebook messenger started launching a variety of filters! Well, what 2-year-old doesn’t want to chat and giggle with a piece of pizza or a grandma with dog ears? Now my daughter likes to hold the phone and change her own filters while telling grandma and grandpa all about her day 🙂
My favourite aspect of Mobile Culture is the ability to create communities or join communities. Whether they are your local community FB groups, or groups for hiking, gardening or support groups for weight loss/weight management or mental health the ability to feel connected to others with similar interests has been incredibly important during the pandemic. In many ways, these communities have replaced the concept of having a pen pal. The upside being rather than getting to know one person, you can make connections with many people. The other upside is of course seeing that there are people in the same boat as you and of course people who make you look like your life is completely together and not the “poop show” you think it is!
One thing I really appreciate is the ability to recruit and mobilize a small army of people to help volunteer for a project or a cause. I am able to send out an invitation to a volunteer work party, moving party or fundraise and am usually full of help within 24 hours. This simply was not possibly, nor was the uptake as high in a former world of phone calls and posters.
For me, the most pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture has been the convenience of privately running errands that would have traditionally been time-consuming. Going to the bank and depositing a cheque used to be an entire ordeal, as my mom told me stories of how she would try to start her lunch break a few minutes early so that she could run to the bank and beat the rush of other workers going to the bank during their lunch break. It’s amazing to me that mobile technology has progressed to a point where anyone can securely do their banking in just moments. The same goes for signing up for health insurance and even talking to a doctor. The convenience of using mobile devices has hopefully allowed us to have more free-time to either work, socialize, or relax, and any of which are positive for advancing a happy and productive society.
I absolutely agree Liam! I love my banking apps, I can effectively and efficiently keep up with my payments, keep track of transaction history, manage my expenses, deposit cheques, send money to my family internationally, pay with e-transfers, use apple wallet to make purchases, have automatic payments setup, and so may more functionalities. There are so many pros and cons of technology, this definitely falls under the pro. Unfortunately, the most common fear of online banking/online apps is the growing cyber security theft. Although many companies offer security and don’t charge you for the stolen cyber money because your account has been compromised, I have heard of many scenarios where the company “cannot help you” or “don’t believe you” or “cannot return the money in full”. A lot of people take advantage of these “securities” and even pretend to be someone (a hacker) pretending to be a “credit card assistant” to help you with your problem to simply gather information and steal your money. There is a lot of cyber fraud and corruption out there. What are your thoughts on this?
Though perhaps controversial in terms of privacy, my inner Trekkie has been pleasantly surprised by how quickly smart assistants like “Alexa” have become accessible, both to my students and at home. As mentioned above, information is truly at our fingertips now, or even at a call of the voice, and the number of peripheral devices we can connect to grows with each passing year. To make a programming analogy, I have found that the ease of use for these assistants (even simpler than typing instructions on a virtual keyboard) is almost analogous to moving up a higher level of abstraction when coding novel functions; we all know the computer technically works in binary, but we all abstract away from that to understand how they work from a much higher level of abstraction (managing files, downloads from “the cloud” to my hard drive, etc.); so too do I think that these devices allow us to operate at a similarly higher level of abstraction in our daily lives (I am especially grateful not to have to search for a light switch in the middle of the night when baby is screaming for a diaper change). Though we could lament the loss of time spent searching for this information ourselves and the relevant data retrieval competencies we would develop, I rather think of what novel societal skill-sets we can manifest with the support of these newfound assistants, and that is an exciting prospect to contemplate!
One of the most important and pleasantly surprising trends of mobile technology that have impacted my life are transportation apps. Ride-sharing apps such as Uber in North America and DiDi in China have changed personal transportation drastically. In major cities like Beijing, being able to call yourself a ride with the push of a button has made life without owning a car much more feasible and perhaps even desirable. Before, getting from one place to another often required you to take public transportation, call or find a taxi or own your own vehicle. These options often required planning for longer travel times or were very expensive for ordinary citizens. Ride-sharing apps have made life much more convenient and save time. While ride-sharing apps have been a pleasant surprise, in my experience, the apps allowing users to rent a scooter or bicycle from their mobile devices have been even more surprising. In Beijing and throughout major cities in China, bike share apps are extremely popular, and you can find bikes virtually everywhere. Not only do bikes save time for users to get from point A to point B or to get to the nearest subway station, but they also promote exercise and help reduce vehicle emissions. Often a trip on a bicycle will take less time than riding in a car during periods of the day when traffic is heavy.
For me, a pleasantly surprising trend of mobile culture is the ability to earn point rewards and money! There are so many apps that grant you rewards for doing very simple tasks. For example, the app Optimity offers daily healthy living quizzes and surveys you can complete to earn points that you can use for online shopping and converting points to Petro-points for free gas! You can even convert your points into More Rewards points for groceries. On top of that, by completing your daily steps you also earn free diamonds that you can convert to enter raffles and win big prizes. In addition, now there are apps that give you free Bitcoins for inviting others to join and simply shaking your phone every day! I have made like $500 ever since I found this app and could become more if Bitcoin reaches higher values and I keep up my streak. Many have heard of Groupon and MobileBandit for amazing discount. I love that apps exist, algorithms piled up in a squared icon on your phone that makes life much more interesting!
A pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture is security. The global pandemic has forced many people to work remotely and outside of secure connections such as a VPN (a virtual private network). As a result, companies are at the risk of having major security breaches with employees having access to secure company data outside of a secure connection.
Mobile users (phone, tablets, laptops) all use wireless connections are exposed to risks of having data stolen by hackers. Enhanced security features for mobile devices are on the increase. I also see where people who have smart homes use mobile devices to turn on ac, heaters, security systems…If your connection is not secure persons can hack into your smart home, turn on cameras and watch u, burglary, …Refrigerators also are now connected, and can order items from the grocery store. What if someone can divert that information to their ( fake address ) rather than yours?
A pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture…is the way in which it is currently dovetailing with the wellness industry at a unique time in world history – that is, the current global pandemic. While speaking to your therapist over the phone, or video perhaps, is not terribly novel, the seeming surge of good quality, purposefully-built, convenient and ‘instant’ therapy is striking. For example, consider the brand ‘Better Help’ (which, it is worth noting, spends a good deal of money placing advertisements in popular podcasts, such as Armchair Expert) https://www.betterhelp.com/ Better help advertises therapy ‘your way’, how you feel comfortable – messaging, chat, text or video. In leveraging mobile culture, companies such as better help are both disrupting the traditional therapy industry whilst also directly addressing the mental health crisis brought about by COVID.
In my view, one of the greatest advantages of mobile culture is the opportunity to express ourselves through many outlets. Whether it is posting pictures, live streaming, sharing a thought at midnight, customizing our social media profiles, empathizing with our dears, and engaging in selected forums, this can be done anywhere and anytime. Our Whatsapp status and Facebook profile speak volumes about who we are and what we like. I believe that everyone has a song to sing, and mobile culture has made it possible to have an audience who would cheer for us, no matter who we are or what we represent. This affordance is invaluable as it offers opportunities to rediscover ourselves and feel less scrutinized or mistaken than in the real world. On a different note, stories of racism or oppression can come to light through folksonomies, and obscure stars can post their talent and gain global recognition through the mobile culture.
Our digital representation is not only an extension of our feelings and thoughts, but it can also depict a more accurate description of who we actually are. That’s probably why two people never share one mobile.
In reading through these posts about pleasant surprises in mobile culture, I was aware for the first time the extent to which technology has integrated my daily life. I thought I was aware of how we as a family use it daily but there were so many aspects I hadn’t considered because they have become second nature. It made me really think about how we’re using our own abilities and memory each day and how much we’re relying on the ease of technology to guide our choices and information we receive. I love accessing news ways or learning and navigating new technology and after reading through these posts I’m more aware of how quickly and quietly it can become the norm in our lives, I’m not sure it’s a negative or a postive but it’s interesting to think about how much it has changed my own daily life in just the last few years, here’s a quick recap below.
Just this morning:
* I scanned the news quickly using news apps preset to my preferences
* I used the weather app to see what to expect for the day
* I check directions to where I’m going using google maps
* I’ve logged into a Google doc to quickly edit a document
* My kids have facetimed a friend to talk before school
* I texted with friends/family
* I listed items for sale on a online community I belong to for my son’s school
* I used a trails app to check a route I’m interested in
What continually astonishes me about mobile technology is the speed of adoption around the world and how mobile technology has connected people and information – particularly our seniors. My mother is 80. Like many of us, she is at arm’s length from her I-phone and I-pad. Texting and Facetime keep her connected throughout the day to her family and friends (some of which are her age). She also uses her mobile devices for watching videos on Youtube (on whatever subject interests her) and has recently started using online banking. I wouldn’t call my mom tech savvy, but she learned fairly quickly how to use her mobile devices and depends on them like the rest of us. Research shows that most adults over the age 65 trail the general public in mobile adoption; however, the mobile adoption rate of seniors increases as education and income increase. Undoubtedly, my mother is fortunate that she can afford these devices and has her family to support her if she has questions. I am grateful that her mobile devices give her easy access to the digital world that we are so invested in.
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/05/17/technology-use-among-seniors/>
Hi Elizabeth. I totally agree with you that mobile culture enabled the seniors to find media of communication to connect with their dears. My mom is very active on Facebook, and she actually uses many technical features more effectively than I do. I also believe that the elderly appreciate those technologies and their facets more than the youngsters do. So, it makes sense that having a platform or a stage to still be active on a large scale is a blessing that should be acknowledged.
That is amazing that seniors are picking up mobile culture! I think it all depends on the willingness to try different features and being comfortable learning something new. I know some family members who are between 50-70, who are not really willing to try anything new that has something to do with technology.
A pleasantly surprising trend of mobile technology is the ability to connect with new content/media creators directly, join their communities, support them directly and communicate with them and other “fans” in ways that were never possible before. It makes me think of the quote “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” (Jim Rohn) which suggests that the people in our lives tend to influence our behaviour and attitudes Well – now you can “surround yourself” with experts, entertainers, philosophers, teachers, etc. and listen and interact with them across time, no matter where you live. These “distant”, often self-made, new celebrities operating in their niche market spaces often host virtual (and sometimes face to face) meet-ups and events, and can become as important an influence in someone’s life – communicating certain moral principles and philosophies that we may otherwise have missed if limited by the luck of geography. I’d like to think these influences are at least as much ‘to the good’ as the other way around.
For me, a pleasantly surprising trend of mobile culture is the ability of youth to criticize their politicians on these platforms, in particular when it comes to the totalitarian regimes. Initially, I saw the existence of anonymity in online user profiles as a negative phenomenon. However, anonymity certainly gives the users the ability to freely express themselves, particularly when there is a degree of fear of government retribution. Totalitarian regimes generally have a one-party system, and opposing political parties are banned and/or illegal. Social media platforms, have given the users the ability to exercise their right to speech and even to form political parties.
Translation and map apps. Remember when we could travel? Mobile technology has made an incredible impact on connecting people through communication channels. I can still remember writing letters, sending postcards, and rarely making long distance calls (because of the cost). Today, you can video chat with someone on the other side of the planet. The most amazing advancement in mind, is that you can speak to someone who doesn’t speak your language or read a street / business sign in a language you don’t understand by using your mobile device. I have been fortunate to travel around the world, and those experiences in the past 5 years have change for the better because of this technology. I fondly recall having conversations with taxi drivers in Taiwan (who didn’t speak English, and I don’t speak Mandarin) using Google Translate that wouldn’t have been possible without this technology. Or getting lost in the streets of Naples, but able to rely on a map app to get me safely to my destination.
I had the same experiences when I travelled to South Korea three years ago. The translation apps are beneficial and convenient. I can use my mobile phone to take photos of signs and texts and instantly translate them into English or Mandarin, making my travel easy and enjoyable.
A pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture is the altruism movements that came out of social media and the amount of recognition social problems have gotten from these platforms. Starting from the Ice Bucket challenge to spread awareness of ASL, there has been many movements that came out of social media in support of issues in our society. As technology becomes more ingrained in our lives, there tends to be a disconnect between ourselves and our society, but these trends are a great reminder of how much power an individual can have and how we can influence others in our lives for a good purpose. Even now, political and climate change issues go through the great space of social media and give voice and power to those who have a power message. The most recent example I can think of is BLM and how there was an education of what’s happening and how it brought about some social change. As social media evolves, I hope that it keeps this positive do-good aspect and keeps on encouraging the sharing of those who needs a platform to share their message.
Something I’ve been finding fascinating as of late is the opportunities mobile technology offers for informal and asynchronous collaboration. We’re all familiar with productivity tools like Google Docs, that facilitate group collaboration on a project — we’ll probably be using them in this course — but those tend to be for specific teams, with a specific objective, to work on a product with a specific form. More interesting to me is the way that the ecosphere of mobile technologies has encouraged users to take something that someone else has created, and rework it, expand it, riff on it and add value to it.
This past week I ended up on a bit of a deep dive into the emerging online obsession with “sea shanties”, originating on TikTok. Much of it began with one man (evidently a postal worker from Scotland) singing and sharing a traditional whaling song, followed by dozens of others recording themselves singing along, playing an instrument, adding a bass line, etc., resulting in a bona fide collaborative product devoid of any central planning, committee decisions or creative compromises — just users (who at one time might solely have been “consumers”) saying “I like this and I want to add to it”.
An aside: if you’re curious, search “Wellerman TikTok” and prepare to stomp your foot and sing along. Heck, turn your camera on and join the fun.
A pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture!!!!
B.C., before covid, my daughter and students were engaging in physical communication but having a mobile device in hand. Now in the 11th month of lockdown procedures on the reserve, Siksika Nation, the mental health of the children is becoming a concern. I have always believed that the spirit of youth is stronger than I understand. By no means am I expressing that all youth are doing well and not struggling with some type mental health issues. My daughter recently gathered her friends, (by phone, snapchat, TikTok, and video chat) to create a virtual Minecraft world. Some may say that minecraft gatherings is old news. In my opinion, it depends on the situation. My daughter of 11 years old has been concerned about her 12 and 13 year old friends. Her friends are beings raised by a single parents with no steady income. Living conditions are not safe or next to poverty levels or living in a home with drug and alcohol abuse. Surprisingly, her friends do either have an Ipad or cellular devices. Since covid has forced the reserve into lockdown, the reserve has assisted many homes with free wifi service. Once a night, my daughter will gather her friends online to communicate in a fun, healthy, humorous Minecraft manner. My daughter and her friends are constanstly laughing and sharing stories. I am learning that the younger generation are adapting to a virtual, technological, non-physically type of communication. The transition from physical to non-physical communication is a bit more difficult for my wife and myself generation. My daughter understands that checking up on loved one’s is important and needed at this time in everyone’s lives.
HI Tyrone. Your post highlights one of the definitely pleasant surprises from mobile culture — the ease by which some users, predominantly younger users or the “born digital” generation can separate the wheat from the chaff, figure out how new technologies can fit into their lives in useful or meaningful ways, and which technologies they can leverage to develop social contacts and communities. Being of the generation that envisioned computers doing calculations for us, or warehousing our recipes and phone numbers, or helping us to edit documents, it’s fascinating to see how some users can seemingly turn any new app into a social thing.
As a sidebar, it’s fascinating too, to wonder how it was that we didn’t see the social potential of computers from the start. How did we miss that?
I still remember how I struggled to teach my father to open a MSN chat on the computer almost 20 years ago. I wrote down a two-page step-by-step operational manual and stuck it on the desk.
I am so pleased that I do not need to teach my parents how to use the smartphone anymore, because it has become very easy for them to get a start to use it. Smartphones have been designed to be able to match everyone’s mental model, not only in the humanized interface, but also in the services built on computing technology that they provide. I am so happy that my parents can connect with me by video calls, and place an order on their phones much easier than ever.
For me, a pleasantly surprising trend of mobile culture is a social media community for parents where they exchange parenting tips, educational activities, and resources. On my Instagram and Facebook, I am involved in multiple groups for parents and I have found that especially during this unprecedent time these communities have helped so many parents who struggled and are still struggling to balance their isolated lives with work and family.
Because of this common identity of being parents, these virtual communities are growing to be a big part of our lives and resemble real life communities in the sense that people there provide support, information, friendship, and acceptance between “strangers”.
A pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture for me is how it has enabled exploration of new places anywhere in the world. No matter where we are, we can enter a destination in apps like Google Maps and it will usually point us in the right direction with surprisingly improving accuracy. If I want to go for a run in a new city (or my own city), I can log into Strava, look at heat maps to see where other people run, and ask Strava to create a route for me or map one for myself. Although some might think that these navigational tools have taken away some of the adventure in traveling and exploration, for me they have opened up the possibilities for many new adventures that I wouldn’t have otherwise attempted.
A pleasantly surprising trend of mobile culture is the community that it is building. I think about apps, such as Reddit, where people can choose to join different subreddits (or forums) depending on their interests. Within each of these subreddits, conversations ensue that are related to a certain topic or group of topics, and a community forms. The community that Reddit has developed has allowed people with very diverse or niche interests find like-minded individuals to connect with. It also allows individuals who want to explore a certain area of interest to find a community of individuals who can answer their questions and guide them in that interest area.
Another app that stands out because of the community that is has built is RedFlagDeals. Basically a deals forum, RedFlagDeals is filled with people who are frugal and want to get the best deal on everything that they buy, from electronics to grocery store items. As an avid user of this forum, I am consistently surprised by the community-feel of this app, and the support that “strangers” on this app provide one another in order to accomplish a common goal of finding the best deal. I feel comfortable asking questions to these “strangers” and I feel confident that they are giving me honest responses. And this level of comfort definitely makes me feel connected and established in this app-based community.
My husband is also a big fan of using RedFlagDeals as well and because of this community and other Apps/website (such as Flipp or Cocowest.ca) providing information on deals and promotions, our shopping experience has been very satisfying. When there is a certain item that we are planning to purchase, that name of product can be set in the App to alert us when there is a deal available. Also, I have noticed that this community gets very excited when people discover price errors online stores, and they help each other to achieve the deals by providing feedbacks and advice.
This accessibility of information of products and promotions in competitive stores all in one place is a pleasantly surprising trend in shopping experience these days.
A suprising trend in mobile culture for me is mobile gaming and the type of players it attracts. There are people that do not normally game on computers, consoles or arcades but play on phones. As an example, my mom played candy crush, and when she had a nokia back in the day, snake. But she would never play a game on the console or computer. I wondered why? Is it the ease of access to a mobile device, a way to pass the time while commuting or the simplicity of the game. What draws a non gamer to play a game on a mobile device?
It definitely has opened up gaming to a broader demographic. Many of these games are even helpful for brain health and memory.
A pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture is the ability to stream music anywhere that you have a data connection. No longer do I need to rely on the 15,000 songs downloaded onto my device, now I can look up any song that I want to listen to, no matter where I am. This might sound tongue in cheek, but I honestly always listen to music and 15,000 songs isn’t always enough. This summer I spent some time canoeing and it was really nice to just put on “canoe song playlist” and have canoe paddling songs streamed directly to me in the middle of no where on a lake. This pleasing trend expands to things like streaming netflix, youtube, podcasts, and audiobooks, but for me, its the ability to listen to whatever song I want, wherever and whenever I want. This is what I cherish about mobile culture, and not something I thought possible when cell phones started becoming big (pre smart phones) and even with smart phones it used to be too expensive to just stream whatever whenever, but data prices have fallen, and for me it now works!
Hi Johannes
I love the convenience of having media on demand. The best part that I like is that one can access a limitless library and have a variety of choice that previously would not be feasible for an average person due to financial or space limitations. Few people would be able to afford the space to store the countless disks equivalent to the streaming library. We have come a very long way since vinyl records and 8mm video.
Hi Johannes
I have the opposite notion for streaming songs. I was mainly in the era where you buy a CD/buy the song online and load it onto your phone. The music players on my phone were my most used app. Nowadays, I actually get annoyed at streaming services since I have to either pay for them or incur the wrath of ads after every song. The amount of predation in making non-paying users jump through hoops is something that I quite dislike from the current trends. To top it off, currently, Android has opted for a streaming based service over music players, meaning that my previous playlists and songs are somewhat inaccessible now. While I love streaming songs that I don’t have, I feel like this actually moved too far over and replaced having songs on my device instead of adding to it.
A surprising trend in mobile culture is technology to get me outdoors. Having been born and raised here in Vancouver I’ve never taken advantage of our local mountains. I finally learned of the AllTrails back in August. Since then, I have been hiking almost every weekend. I have used it to discover new trails. Users will upload photos, and I’ve used those to look for challenging sections of trail when gauging difficulty. I’ve also learned how to read the contours of a topographic map. Users can also upload recent conditions. I record every hike I go on so I can see elevation gain, time, and my route, because it does use GPS. One can also connect it to their Apple Watch or FitBit.
Benefitting from the backwoods experiences of others can limit the excitement of exploring new places and of getting temporarily lost; but I’ve discovered that other people’s use of phones for recording hiking trails and old canoe routes with photos and GPS pins affords me better time management for my trips and opens up opportunities to learn more about the types of plants and the geology of an area. No need for bulky waterproof handbooks in the field unless that’s specifically desirable.
A pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture is it’s usage for every mode of entertainment. Whether it is for music, watching videos, connecting socially, playing games or chatting the list goes on. The mobile utility overshadows all other mediums of entertainment. This is due to the fact that it is a personal device which provides customized entertainment at the click of the button. Also, it’s portability, ability to fit in your pocket and connecting anywhere with the world gives it the highest popularity irrespective of age. Mobile technology has led to the evolution of entertainment from the shared source and has reincarnated itself into the personalized on-demand, easily accessible mode of entertainment.
A pleasantly surprising trend of mobile culture is the ability to connect people from all over the world into a living breadth of conversations, stories, knowledge and news! Having the ability to connect with a shark expert, retired astronaut or Hollywood star in the palm of your hand is certainly a magical experience. I once asked Gordon Ramsay how to properly prepare geoduck (a very large clam native to the west coast of Canada) on social media and amazingly he actually responded with steps to follow! It certainly inspired my students and I, but it also taught me just how attainable it is now to connect with others. Using mobile technology and the culture it creates has actually helped me to find guest presenters to speak at my school, answer very specific questions and learn from a global community!
I think that a surprising trend in mobile culture is that people are able to exercise from home. I have let countless gym memberships bleed my account dry without using them because I found it hard to motivate myself to go to a gym. I love how now we can choose the types of activity we prefer and engage in them in the comfort of our own homes. At the start of the pandemic I started a daily yoga practice. I was able to learn the moves on my own without feeling out of place. I also feel like there are many adaptations that can be found on YouTube for people with different abilities and needs. My sister had a shoulder injury at one time and was able to easily find ‘hands free’ exercises on her phone.
Jennifer – This ease of access to workout videos on a mobile phone is amazing. I literally woke up this morning and decided to try out yoga again using youtube as my guide – It was fantastic. It is so natural to pick up our phones when we want to try something new. Our access to Information is at our fingertips at all times. This is amazing to me.
A pleasant trend I’m enjoying in mobile culture is the generosity and sharing of self-published material for others to use. In my experience as a teacher, this has been by other teachers freely sharing and offering material for other teachers to use. In early September when my job changed overnight from Music teacher of 7 years to Grade 4 teacher, I reached out to a few mobile teacher groups I belong to, and within hours had all kinds of resources, lesson plans, and ideas from teachers across the country. The two things that really hit me are how generous my fellow humans can be, and how easy it is for us to share with anyone.
The world of teaching has changed immensely from when I started out. When I first started teaching over 20 years ago, I would collect copies of every resource I could find (worksheets, video tapes, overhead transparencies) because I wasn’t sure what I might be teaching in the future, and I wanted to be prepared. As a student teacher, I spent countless hours making resources and preparing things from scratch. I have so much clutter from those early days. Now, if I want to teach a new lesson, resources are a few clicks away Some are free, shared by kind souls and others are a source of income for the creators (Teachers pay Teachers). The internet has become an invaluable sharing and lesson planning resource.
The problem now however, is that I have progressed from physical and paper clutter to digital clutter, as I have collected so many digital resources that I now need to go into my computer and sort through it all.
This is an excellent point. Mobile resources and the sharing of free content has greatly reduced the workload on teachers. Free online websites like worksheetworks and idea generating pinterest boards allows teacher to create a variety of resources quickly that allow for a greater range of activity in the classroom.
The desire to learn a 2nd or 3rd language has appeared to become rather popular. More and more mobile apps such as Duolingo and Babble have been advertised online and on TV. At first I was rather skeptical of the effectiveness of such apps, however, after playing Duolingo for over 500 days consecutively, I did manage to learn how to read at a beginner level in German. My friends who downloaded the app were not as successful and I tried to understand why. I think the reason was that I made the effort to connect my relatives from Germany and the Netherlands with the Whatsapp. This in term, motivated me to want to continue to use the app. Though I am usually able to get the “gist” of what my family overseas is discussing, I am still struggling to respond to their texts. Thankfully my mother is a native speaker, but it does not resolve how difficult a second language is to learn, as well as the limitations of mobile learning. I am to the point that University classes in German would be helpful, particularly since grammar rules are more regular in German verses English. The benefit of the mobile app is that it is always with me, and I get reminders to practice German daily, which is essential to language learning. It is also important to note that the app incorporates reading, listening, speaking, and writing all in one place. With the app my learning is “ubiquitous” wherever I go as long as I have my smartphone with me. The “affordance” of the free app in my opinion is relatively high considering the navigation, lesson design, and competitive/ motivation factors. If anyone has used Duolingo please let me know you thoughts. I am curious if you have had a similar experience.
A pleasantly surprising trend in mobile…..
Pay on the go to participate in the sharing economy.
We moved from Vancouver to buy a house a few years ago. I still miss Vancouver very much. One of the things we loved doing all the time was riding around Spanish Banks and all the seawall and bike lanes around Vancouver. So sometimes, instead of paying for my car and bringing my bike on the bike rack, I walk on the ferry, take the bus into town and pay while on the go to rent a Mobi Bike to bike the city for the day.
Love it!
A pleasantly surprising trend with mobile technology is the ability to use devices for the betterment of the environment and for scientific data collection. Citizen science is becoming both a popular and helpful trend, where smart phones are being used by ordinary people to add to online databases that scientists can then access for their research (use the link below to see some citizen science opportunities). As well, mobile devices have enabled people all over the globe to come together over environmental issues such as climate change and ocean plastic. Mobile technology is changing global awareness with such environmental activists as Greta Thunberg organizing youth across the world to take part in protests, or the zero waste movement promoting ways for ordinary people to reduce their waste outputs.
https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/063.nsf/eng/h_97169.html
Lori,
Yes! Isn’t it great to think that our device that may have not been made in an environmentally friendly or sustainable way can still support efforts to improve sustainability? It allows us to do this in ways that not only impact our daily lives and communities but those of people on the other side of the planet. Like I said during last week’s Mobile Technology section (https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/01/22/m-ecology/), the use of apps to learn more about the environment and sustainability and apps that help us utilize citizen science to support those efforts are amazing tools!
However, I do wonder how mobile devices will change over time to become more sustainably produced. Here is just one prediction of how the mobile phone industry will have to become more sustainable: https://www.raylo.com/blog/mobile-phones-and-sustainability-2020-predictions
The problem with having a breadth of knowledge at my fingertips is I worry more and more about my memory. When I can’t think of the name of that movie/book/actor/actress/politician, etc. I have the ability to just look it up, and then immediately forget it. If you read an encyclopedia multiple times cover to cover and are able to retain even a percentage of the information, that is incredibly impressive. But the amount of content we see in any given day is exponential, and some days it is in one eye and out the other.
The amount of content we have access to and consume is ever increasing. 20% of Millenials spend over 20 hours consuming online content each week (Content Science, 2020). Psych Central says that “the overall effect of media documentation on memory is more detrimental than beneficial.” Which makes sense, since we have the answers at our fingertips. To further my point, there is a great scene from the Disney Pixar movie “Inside Out,” where little spirits inside the child Riley’s brain are throwing away phone numbers from her memory, because “they’re in her phone!” Therefore, our increased access to content is decreasing our ability to retain and recall information. It makes me wonder if our phone acts as our “backup-hardrive” for our own memory.
URLs Sourced:
https://review.content-science.com/millennial-content-consumption-fact-sheet/#:~:text=We%20spend%20a%20lot%20of,to%2018%20hours%20per%20day.
https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-effects-of-media-on-memory#1
As someone who is cursed with being unable to remember names until I have a kinesthetic memory to attach it to, mobile culture has been a wonderful asset. I can verify names of people, places I am going, and other things just with the simple device in my hands. However, when I look back to the time before I had a mobile device and memorization was crucial! When I actively worked on memorization, I was able to maintain all of the knowledge. Now, when I am unsure, I can simply check, which has relieved me from a great number of very embarrassing moments!
What stands out for me is your phrase, “consuming content”.
And what stands out for me as an educator and parent and member of society is how out of balance the relationship is for most people between consuming and producing.
We (most people) are great at consuming, not so good at producing.
I often feel like our smart phones and social media and news (entertainment) feed is really just a mobile anaesthesia, to keep ads in front of our eyes and the masses buying stuff. Pessimistic, I know.
I am interested in tools that can get students and people creating solutions to our many urgent problems. Much of our world could use a redesign.
This is a good argument. Perhaps a practical educational question to ask is “should educational institutions teach students to become good producers of content?” This question could be expanded into asking “what is best practice for teaching digital literacy?” and “how should and instructor teach good online etiquette?”. I could think of more questions, but these are fairly big topics.
I think you’re exactly right, Britt.
Much like how schools started teaching the ways television commercials try to manipulate potential buyers decades ago, I imagine they’ll do the same with mobile content (and probably already do. School-age teachers feel free to chime in here!). At the time, creating commercials ourselves wasn’t exactly feasible and wouldn’t have replicated opportunities we’d likely come across in our future lives. However, mobile content is cheap and pretty easy to make. And students will make content throughout their lives. And that content is monetized by others. A good grasp of the whole process will be important to becoming savvy, intentional tech users into adulthood.
Toby – I really appreciate your comment, and I agree. I think more and more we have been trained to consume media/content. And although you say we are less good at producing, I respectfully disagree. Only in the sense that everyone with a phone can be a “content creator” what are online influencers, if not content creators? However, if I may assume, that probably was not the content you were referring to, and I recognize that even though the content is created, it doesn’t mean it is “good content.” I worry about the content produced by content creators and wonder the purpose of what is produced, or whether it is, as you say to peddle ads.
Yes, the content created I feel, isn’t that great.
And, I was specifically talking about students. My students typically are great consumers but have little to no idea how to “create”.
Hi Emma,
I can relate to your experience! I feel like my memory has declined because I no longer have to remember anything. If I lose my phone, I couldn’t call my husband because I don’t have his number memorized… However, on the positive side, I’d like to think that I now have more room to think about more meaningful things rather than being stuck trying to remember small information that can be conjured up really quickly. Having my mobile device with me at all times definitely has made me more efficient and productive, but at the same time I need to be very aware of how I’m using it and not become too reliant on it for everything.
I used to think that way as well, that it is freeing up cycles but the more I examine that thought, the more I have come to think I was wrong. I cannot think of one area of my life where I am able to remember more since offloading data retrieval to a mobile device. I am afraid that the more appropriate analogy would be to ask if using a crutch allows you to do more with your leg than you could before? I worry that our brains are atrophying and losing capabilities through reliance on mobile devices.
Hi Stephen, I agree with this. Sad as it must be. You’re right, our brain may not be a muscle, but it needs to be worked like one. I must remember to test it and use it or I risk atrophy. In fact, brain training including “crosswords, sudoku, etc.” can help prevent Alzheimers – https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/risk-factors-and-prevention/brain-training
Hi Emily – that is a great point! Thank you! I agree that now we can focus our brains on resolving more meaningful things. Although, I have to confess, that it also gives me more time to fill my brain with meaningless Netflix binge-watching as well.
I love that mobile technology has cut down the volume of physical stuff that society has to produce and that we own. We no longer have to produce CD’s/DVDs, we can download an unlimited number of songs/movies; we no longer have to produce books, a Kobo can store thousands of books; we no longer have to produce board games, you can find most games on Steam. Mobile technology has the power to increase sustainability in some industries. All three R’s have gained momentum with online trade communities, like Facebook marketplace. Instead of purchasing new furniture/clothes, I find myself browsing the marketplace first. I feel safer using it as each item is advertised by a Facebook account and advertising on it, in turn, is completely free, unlike Craigslist and kijiji.
Hi Ying, I completely agree with you! And throughout this pandemic, I have found myself more and more thankful that it happened during a time where mobile technology can replace most of the things we normally would leave the house to do. For example, grocery delivery, online shopping, YouTube workouts, and even working from home (for some of us).
I love not having to store so many things, where many things I use regularly are stored digitally on my phone, iPad or laptop. Although I love the convenience of all this, I sometimes wonder what happens to all the jobs that use to be filled by people producing all those things that we can now download on our phones like board games and books. All of these new advances have consequences, both good and bad and it is hard to strike the right balance.
I think when some jobs become obsolete, new jobs take their place. However, I do recognize that these new jobs might be taken by AI, and that the rate of new job creation may be lower than the rate of old jobs becoming obsolete.
I agree Ying. The other issue are skill gaps. Many of these new jobs will very likely have technical requirements which means that retraining will be required. For many, changes in software can be very stressful. I can’t imagine how these individuals would feel if their entire job profile would change at industry they have worked in for over a decade.
Hi Ying,
I couldn’t agree with you more. I love taking notes on my phone and computer rather than writing on a physical notebook. I used to have to look through pages and pages of notes before I can find something that I’m looking for, and my shelf would have a section full of notebooks collected over the years. I like having access to my notes, and books all in my mobile device. I have everything synced up in icloud and also on Dropbox so that I can access my files no matter what device I switch to. It’s fantastic.
Hi Emily,
Great point. I’m a musician and I would have some engagements out of town, and rather than bring my heavy opera scores I would use my iPad. I use an app called FourScore which has been incredible. All of my scores on there, you can obviously annotate, it also has a built in keyboard and metronome, and bluetooth capabilities foot pedal to turn pages. You can also make cuts in the score. It’s amazing.
A Pleasantly Surprising Trend in Mobile Culture is how it empowers anybody to be HEARD.
This has been going on for some time but it is so crucial to the direction the internet is moving. Everyone has a potential avenue to share to a global market. This is both empowering to the individual day to day and can result in a new life path.
An individual can easily share anything they want to and more and more there are niche spaces on the internet for those individuals to find community.
Also, there are many many stories of people breaking out, but here is one example: Lady Gaga was discovered through MySpace where she just shared her music. Listen to a full podcast on her rise to fame here: https://www.npr.org/2018/05/24/614081933/lady-gaga-atom-factory-troy-carter
This is such a big and important thing for the introverts and the isolated, among many others. In the past I think many people with great talent or important ideas have not had a platform to be heard, but that is a thing of the past. The sharing of new ideas, knowledge, and talent is creating huge progress in all areas, and it will continue to improve as mobile networks become available to a greater percentage of the world’s population.
I agree with Adrian, however I do notice the downside to this capability. Multiple viewpoints are often given equal footing in the online-spotlight and that can result in sub-standard information-sharing and normalization of hate speech. We’ve seen a lot of that in the past few years with the American political situation. It’s interesting to see social media platforms, Facebook in particular, grapple with how to handle this new social responsibility. Who would have thought Twitter would be a major player in the way we connect with politicians??
One pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture that I love is the wide access to vast libraries of music.
I worked/volunteered/hung out in record stores for a good portion of my 20s and early 30s. If you have ever seen the movie High Fidelity you will know what I mean… I was there to talk about, listen to, and make fun of all the different types of music that came into the store. I have in my basement a ridiculous number of records and cds that I spent a small fortune to purchase, and still love and listen to to this day. But without working in an environment like that it became hard and costly to venture out and explore new music. Streaming services, like Spotify has drastically changed that. For a reasonable sum (I do the family plan) I have access to almost all of my collection (well… maybe 70%) plus the ability to listen to new and exciting artists. It has become almost a weekly occurrence that I find a new artist or album (yes, I still listen to entire albums and not just a song… I’m a dinosaur) that I completely enjoy. Add to that the complete mobility of having access to hundreds of offerings downloaded on my phone that can be played at work, in the car, or through my wireless headphones. Music streaming has changed the way I listen to music (though I still throw records on when I’m at home) and made that experience so much more accessible to not only me but my children. Both my kids have developed their own musical tastes and, unlike this child of Top 40 radio for a good portion of my adolescence, have no barriers to branching out and listening to genres and bands that sound interesting to them. It is weird walking in on your 10 year old listening to Brain Eno soundscapes while he is reading and you didn’t even show him who that was…
I’m a music enthusiast and a musician and when I was younger (before streaming), people defined themselves by the kind of music they listened to a lot more than they seem to now. Before streaming, when you had to buy an album for $15-$20 to just listen to it, it was much more of a marker of who you are and what you’re into than listening to an album is now. Now, when you can listen to anything you want instantly and your choices of albums are not so effortful and committed, it seems that people define themselves less with their choice of music and more with other methods, like what they post on social media, what kinds of selfies they take, etc.
A pleasantly surprising trend in mobile trend is the ability to use virtual doctors through apps. I am sure we are all aware of how hard it is to get a family doctor here in Canada, so now having the access to a virtual doctor saves time and stress. During the pandemic I stumbled upon the virtual doctor instead of having to go in and see a doctor face-to-face. This is a great resource for people who just need a prescription filled or other things that do not involve actually going to a doctor and waiting for hours. Now you can conveniently book a doctor within the hour usually. I have found them to be on time too! When you go to a doctor they are often running behind and you have to wait additional time. I foresee the virtual doctor trend taking off, especially now with the pandemic.
I also ‘saw’ a doctor virtually in the last couple of weeks.
It makes so much more sense than cramming a bunch of sick people who have different illnesses and may be contagious into the same waiting room.
Kylie, this truly is a great step forward and hopefully it will remain an important feature of health care after we move past this crisis. A doctor friend of mine who is a specialist commented that two great features of the “virtual house calls” that he likes are: 1) he can bring his colleagues into an appointment effortlessly and 2) the meetings can be recorded and referred to when doing consultations and treatment reviews. He also invites family members to join the appointments (albeit on mute sometimes) when they are not able to physically be in the same room.
Jamie,
Those are some great additional reasons to visit a virtual doctor. Technology makes life easier and more convenient. I feel that if we have more accessibility to doctors, people will be more likely to go to appointments when they need them. I had never thought of inviting others into meetings, but this is also a way family members can attend and they don’t even have to actually have to physically be there.
This is a pleasant trend I’m seeing too. I haven’t yet been to a virtual doctor, but when I think of this shift, it makes me wonder what other cultural shifts it could encourage. Will being able to see a doctor more easily, without an inconvenient and often uncomfortable wait, lead to any changes in how people treat their personal health? Could that small change cause a larger shift in our relationships to health care and self-care?
I am glad that during the pandemic, my mother has been able to see her doctor virtually. This service is going to take off and help people in communities where they don’t have access to certain specialists. Now we need the wearables and affordable devices for people to test amd upload profiles of their samples!
I think the greatest benefit of having a virtual doctor is that it may lead to earlier diagnoses. There are people who experience health issues but do not go visit the doctor. This may be because of mobility issues, a busy schedule to impart the “I can’t be bothered” attitude, or just laziness because something is not a problem until it really is a problem. Some also feel silly for going to the doctor for a minor issue, as if they waste a doctor’s time if nothing is found to be wrong. An online visit feels safer and much easier to do.
I am continually surprised by the advances in cloud computing. In education, access to the cloud has had a particularly profound impact as it improves access, reduces costs and encourages collaborative learning and teaching.
Alongside the advance of digital technology, eLearning has evolved over recent decades, and it has improved access by facilitated the creation of virtual classrooms, online libraries, and remote teaching. All of these have brought learning into a new era of flexibility and innovation.
The need for remote learning, in the shadow of COVID 19, has been especially testing for educators and cloud computing has come to the rescue. Teachers are benefiting just as much as students from cloud computing by sharing resources and compare notes on best practices in seconds.
What I like most is the days of carting around textbooks, binders and floppy disks are long gone as it is now possible to access everything online.
This short video outlines the benefits of cloud computing in education.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn0RnfhoiE0&feature=youtu.be
Hi Jamie,
I would have to say that I sure don’t miss emailing docs between my home computer and work computer or even worse…getting to work and realizing I forgot to hit send and not having those docs. Definitely pleasantly surprised by this trend!
A pleasantly surprising trend of mobile culture that is appreciated by millions, especially in China, is mobile paying (services mainly offered by Alipay and WeChat).
A story told by a friend who has been living in Spain for many years. He got a chance to come back to Beijing during 2018. He prepared a few hundred RMBs with him, but when he tried to get a bottle of water after he landed, he was told to “scan and pay, I don’t have changes for you.” He was like, scan what? With what?
Yes, you can just leave your house with one cell phone in your hand, instead of having to take a wallet with you, and within which there are a bunch of different cards. Now, all of that can be fitted in one or two apps. These two apps can hold almost all your membership cards to any stores. And you can also link all your debit and credit cards to these apps.
The popularity of using mobile payment is so high that you can even pay for everything in distant rural countrysides.
Now we hear fewer stories of farmers getting ripped off for people using counterfeit money. And we don’t have to count the money when we pay and of course no coins as changes!!!
Here’s a Youtube video showing what daily lives of Chinese people look like now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQvpv4Yi49k
Hello Jane,
I love scanning the QR code while I am back in China. It is so convenient, no need to be messing with coins or dirty bills. I think that in this pandemic by paying with your cellphone is even better so there is no need to messing with money. I went to a restaurant and the table had a QR code for the customers to scan, once you scanned it the menu would pop up. You can order your cellphone and pay it from your cellphone. There was not much interaction with the waiters. Their job was just to bring the dishes. I am not much of a talker, so I appreciate the fact that I can just order, eat, and pay. However, my brother likes to talk, he likes talking to waiters asking what do they recommend, how’s the business and all that. I believe that this “scan” technology takes away some of the peoples interaction that we used to have.
Wow! This is the first time I have seen the QR payment in action. Thanks for sharing this video. I find this exhilarating and extremely frightening at the same time. It almost seems too convenient and too easy to spend money nowadays. Although, I do agree that it is better than using bills and coins to pay for things, especially now. I wonder if this will increase the rate of debt or not?
Yes, mobile payment is great!
I often wonder why more vendors at my local Saturday market don’t have mobile payment? Do they not know about it? Is it an inertia thing? Do they not make enough money to make it worthwhile?
But big picture, mobile payment is huge and will continue to spread into so many areas. As a teacher who is thinking of trying “Outschool” soon, I will be receiving payment from families from anywhere. This is a tangible example of how mobile payments has allowed for a new kind of learning experience for students and a new kind of work experience for teachers.
Toby, I agree that mobile payment is great. I look forward to the time when it is free for vendors to use, like etransfers generally are now. As a former market vendor, I can attest to the fact that most market vendors don’t enjoy profit margins big enough to cope with the fees being charged currently by mobile payment companies (or credit card companies). I believe it’s only a matter of time before the fees drop and we experience much more widespread use of this technology.
To get around this issue, and avoid handling physical money, I notice a lot of vendors accepting etransfers. In the past year, I’ve sent transfers to hair stylists, local artists, and causal buy-sell arrangements between people in the community.
This is also a useful and exciting trend in India. It is simple to order groceries or supplies from a small vendor and pay with your phone using PayTM or PhonePE. This has made transactions simpler and traceable and saves from always having to have cash on hand or worry about not getting change from your Uber driver or vendor.
I have been very happy to see how social media giants such as Youtube and Twitter have started taking responsibility for the views that are expressed on their platforms. I have been listening to the recent podcast “Rabbit Hole” by the New York Times which chronicles the rise of extremist ideologies and how Youtube is proliferating these views through their algorithms. In episode 4 there is an interview with the CEO of youtube Susan Wojcicki who explains that as an organization, Youtube is trying to help promote credible sources of information. For example, right now they are promoting videos from the World Health Organization for content related to COVID. They have also recently changed their algorithm so that recommended videos do not take users down a “rabbit hole” of videos that only represent one side of an argument. They are also cracking down on what they consider to be hateful speech or unverified information. Twitter has also been doing some great things, like FINALLY flagging President Trump’s tweets as being innacurate or for glorifying violence.
In a lot of ways, social media is the wild west. But it is becoming, if it isnt already, the place people go to learn and understand the world. There IS a civic responsibility that these companies have to make sure they are promoting the truth and speaking out against hate.
Hi Ben
It is indeed very good to see how social media companies are starting to take responsibility for their role in how information is disseminated on their platforms. I was aware of the news regarding Twitter but not the other platforms’ latest steps in this direction. Technological change occurs at such an immense pace I wonder whether these acts can be viewed in a way as human society catching up to what’s been happening. We have been thrown into this social media crazy world that took off right from the start and it’s taken some time to come to grips with what it is, what it can do and learning through experience what steps need to be taken in order to make sure that world operates in a responsible manner that isn’t harmful. Here’s hoping for more such initiatives in future!
Hi Ben,
I think that your comment from May 2020 has become even more important as the pandemic has progressed, and also in light of the events at the US capitol on January 6, 2021. Without a balance to the information people are receiving, there is the tendency to lead to extreme views and people only being exposed on social media to feeds that support what they already believe or understand. This creates a positive feedback cycle, especially when social media is often the only place many people receive their information.
One of the aspects that I have been surprised with is that I believe we are becoming more self aware of your online time. First off, you have people who are purposefully taking time away from tech, with such things as SOUL, which I was first introduced to in the MET program. It is almost comparable to people who do a juice cleanse, but instead of staying away from food, they are staying away from tech. Of course there are some issues with this, such as jobs where the tech is required, although one could make adaptations, such as certain hours or such. Then there is the technology that is helping us with being more self aware, such as iPhone’s Screen Time. With this you can limit the children in your family to certain apps or times on their devices. Or there are other ones such as Shaw Cable, which allows you to turn off the internet, or Disney Circle. Although these devices are becoming a very important part of our lives, being aware of the time we are using it is still important.
As a parent, I have been looking into being more self aware of my online time in order to be a better model for my two daughters. It turns out that it is not as easy as it seams. As adults, should we have enough discipline to handle applying screen time rules for ourselves?
In this age of unprecedented screen access and interactions with mobile technologies designed to be addictive, it’s never been more important to use every tool we can to ensure our screen time is healthy and intentional.
In order to achieve this, I use Apple’s screentime function (as my family’s mobile devices are Apple) to limit the amount of time spent on our mobile devices. Before doing this, I had a conversation with my daughters about the great benefits of having technology in the palm of our hands, but also took the opportunity to talk about the effects it could have on our mental health. Together, we decided of set amount of time we would allow ourselves on our devices every day, and we use screentime functionalities on our devices to help us keep track of our limits.
This is my approach to consciously limiting my family’s screen time, but is it a trend? Are other parents also being cautious about their family’s time spent on their devices?
https://teccenter.erikson.edu/tec/ios12_screentime_tips/
Hi Veronique,
Are other parents also being cautious about their family’s time spent on their devices? This is a good question. I was reminded by my eight year old that we should not only look at the amount of time spent with mobile screen but also the quality of that time. We have scaled back their daily “free time” on screens but increased their time for assignments, learning and exploration. We try as much as possible to have them share their discoveries and be involved in their screen time then we feel more like guides and colleagues as opposed to regulators.
Hi Michael,
This was exactly what I was going to post about. The number of apps and services dedicated to mental health and holistic well-being is really wonderful to see. Screen Time and Focus Hours do the same thing. However, I do sometimes wonder if we should be offering more non-mobile based support for these things? Literal human contact, or part of digital literacy to prompt skillsets in these areas without devices needing to assist with regulation? Then I question whether that is still an “old school” divisive perspective, and whether mental health and well-being is not a facet that needs to be separated from the existence of mobile devices to be achieved.
I guess the joy of it here is that there are such a variety of different techniques to choose from, and many of them are open! Which means that technological users can select a method that suits their preferences and lifestyle to use in a way that works best for them.
The pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture that I enjoy is the ability to feel part of a global community. Every morning I can read the local news of any country in the world that I might be interested in and get a glimpse of the people’s daily lives- what are their struggles? What are they celebrating? I get to learn about people with cultures I have never had the privilege to interact with on a daily and almost instantaneous basis. I can check the weather of any city in the world within a second or two on my mobile phone and video call or message someone I met in an online community for any special interests that I might have. A relationship built without ever meeting in person. I can even add my name to a petition or pledge money to save the great barrier reef or stop the planned drilling of an oil well in a nature reserve… places I have never stepped foot in and yet I can contribute my voice and support to action. My mobile phone has become my connection to the larger world, my way to network and become a global citizen.
Carla, the points you mention are a wonderful use of mobile technology. International mindedness and building empathy towards people and places we don’t necessarily have a connection to is exactly what the world needs more of. Modelling this for our students and sharing stories and experiences with them regarding such interactions can help open their eyes and minds to other perspectives – and it doesn’t even have to be a part of the curriculum 🙂
One thing I find pleasantly surprising about mobile culture is how it can help us travel the world. From my short time of being able to go overseas as an adult has resulted in a huge shift in how we travel. For starters the ability to make overseas phone calls and interactions is so simple now that we don’t think twice about face timing, whats app or skype. Ten years ago I was buying calling cards, and paying for Skype calls from hostel wifi. The other incredible shift is the ability to stay connected at all times with mobile data. This allows you to use maps, make decisions on the fly, find the top rated restaurants in certain areas and look up a bus loop when you get lost. All of this accessibility makes travel easier and safer.
This is so true. I held out on getting a cell phone for a really long time and one of the biggest positive changes for me when I got one was a huge decrease in anxiety anytime I was going anywhere I hadn’t been before. Without a smartphone, I’d have to plot out a route before leaving and bring a paper map with me (even in my own city) and then I’d often be on the bus holding a dang paper map checking the streets as I went by so I wouldn’t miss my stop – whereas with a smartphone, there’s no anxiety at all because no matter where I am, I can always figure out where I’m going (unless, of course, my battery is low, and then it’s time for the all-too-familiar low-battery anxiety).
A lot of what we see shared on mobile social media is aspirational and can be inspired by influencer culture, but there are a lot of regular people along with the instafamous sharing their voices and content. We all want to better, learn a skill we’re interested in, and others’ accounts can provide us with inspiration, microbites of knowledge, and a sense of community. Instagram has created a mobile culture that engages us through photographs/video, but also these microbites of knowledge and sharing.
For me, a mobile culture I appreciate are people who are enthusiastic about gardening. There are a lot of people who won’t or can’t buy gardening books or know where to seek out good information online, but they can easily find and join a group on Facebook or follow gardening accounts on Instagram. I’d argue that most printed books on the subject are written for and by one type of audience, and there is more diversity on social media than in printed information or real life groups. I use instagram to follow and connect with farmers and gardeners from diverse backgrounds in different locales, and I find it a rewarding experience.
A trend within mobile culture that I find pleasantly surprising is the way that businesses and consumers interact with each other in mutually beneficial ways. Within the past few years, I went on quite a lucky streak of winning social media contests for various businesses. I won a hand-crafted cutting board (from North Carolina, via a food blogger in Nebraska), a Le Creuset skillet, baking sheets, a cooking class for two (which helped me win Mother’s Day), tickets to a beer and bbq fest, a t-shirt for a local outdoor company (after going on a sort of geocaching adventure), and probably a few other things that I’ve forgotten (honestly, I’ve made a list in the past and missed a few items). I also made partnerships with local companies to promote their products through food blog posts, which I was paid for, and which all stemmed from social media interactions. At the same time, I love sharing photos of businesses, usually restaurants and breweries, that I appreciate and want to help promote. They will occasionally use those photos in their social media feeds, which can generate more exposure for my blog and also lets me know that they appreciate the shout-outs. To me, it’s been an extremely rewarding experience, and would still appreciate these interactions even if I didn’t win so often.
Yes, I think one of the transformational things about mobile culture is how it can take out the “middle man” and connect us directly with one another. I think about authors I’ve tagged on Twitter in appreciation when I finished their book who reached out personally to send a message of thanks. For me, this is similar to the experience you can have if you travel slowly between any two parts of the world, the people you meet along the way are wonderful and personable. I hope this trend continues, and we are able to rediscover some of the simple joy of knowing each other and relying on each other in meaningful ways.
Agree, I’m finding there’s surprising more transparency and accountability between businesses and consumers, especially when they have a social media presence. Before Twitter and smartphones, I’d likely be holding on a customer service line for hours, trying to reach someone to resolve a support ticket. With direct messaging, I’ve been able to resolve minor issues (i.e. missed take-out delivery, duplicate charge on my cellphone bill, etc.) fairly quickly, or at least get connected to a human being (and not an AI chat bot). I’ve also noticed telecommunications providers have channels dedicated to server/network status updates. This was particularly helpful during system outages; I could follow their feed and find out if the issue was widespread or needed 1:1 trouble-shooting.
One pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture is the movement towards mobile collaboration. Despite being physically apart, people can still work effectively together as a team. With tools such as Slack, Asana, Trello, and Microsoft Teams, it is easier than ever to collaborate remotely even if you are in different locations or time zones. Most of these tools have a mobile interface which makes it easy to respond to questions in a chat or make revisions and give updates. These platforms help teams increase productivity and easily communicate with each other. They help organize tasks and ideas, share documents, and track progress or changes, and meet deadlines. The rise of video conferencing software like Zoom, Google Meet, and WebEx made it easier to meet online. With these tools, people can collaborate synchronously and/or asynchronously. Combined with file sharing tools like Google Drive and Dropbox, people can edit documents at the same time or add to the same repository of code. With so many people working from home right now, the mobile collaboration culture is growing strong.
This collaboration trend in mobile culture was enhanced in 2020 with the necessity of finding a means to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmaceutical companies shared their research in ways that would never have happened between competitors, and scientific periodicals freely posted white papers to the public.
The greater exchange of documents and videos, and the online brainstorming of ideas allowed the world to lower physical barriers to so many pertinent problems. The higher interest and increased participation in citizen science projects also helped push research forward. Take a look and be proud of our accomplishments!
It would be great to ride this tidal wave of collaboration into a more peaceful planetary lifestyle in our collective future! I suppose the next step would be for a grassroots push to continue this collaboration. What if we as citizens incited policies to maintain online collaboration between larger corporations, with profit-sharing and alternatives to earning a living pivoted toward interconnections? We just need to think as a world instead of as individuals, and that is what the internet should be meant to do.
A pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture is the increased awareness for mental health. From Bell “Let’s Talk” Day to psychologists sharing mental health advice on Tik Tok, mobile culture has really embraced the importance and significance of mental health. Although there are many people on the Internet who put down others, there are just as many people who are trying to uplift others with their positivity. Mobile culture has given people various outlets to talk about their issues and not be afraid of the stigma surrounding mental health. There are so many communities created through mobile culture that gives people the confidence to speak up and get support.
Hi Juliano,
This is indeed a nice trend in mobile culture. There are now many apps that provide access to chat with a person, when you are in crisis, such as 7 cups, or big white wall. It is important to bring awareness to mental health, and how to have self-awareness, strategies, and support, especially to the new generations.
One of the neat trends that I’ve seen on Instagram in the last few years is the increase in uplifting self-empowerment accounts. It’s really nice to scroll through your Instagram feed and see inspirational quotes, healthy eating images, and exercise motivation videos to name a few. I’ve also come across accounts in which communities are supporting one another through their mental health issues. One of the uplifting accounts enjoy following on Instagram is “Humans of New York” because I find it inspiring to read the life stories of individuals around the world.
I looked into a study that explores the effects of Instagram use on psychological well-being. Participants (application users and non-users) were surveyed online on measures of depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-esteem, body image, and social comparison. They were also asked about their time spent on Instagram and anxiety associated with the application. Results revealed that participants with the application reported lower levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness, and higher levels of self-esteem, than participants who did not have an account. Other studies have shown that psychological effects of social media usage are mixed. Much of the existing research that I’ve come across about social media and its influence on users takes on a negative view. Ultimately, I think it really depends what you want to see and who you choose to follow. Once you begin to look at Instagram accounts that are more constructive in nature, your entire Instagram feed changes to cater to that.
Mackson, S.B., Brochu, P. M., & Schneider, B.A. (2019). Instagram: Friend or foe? The application’s association with psychological well-being. New Media & Society, 21(10), 2160-2182.
Great post, Ravneet!
I also read an article which asserts that Instagram may psychologically empower women, especially in regions where women are marginalized. The author identifies a sense of self-efficacy and a sense of community in a sample of 372 women Instagrammers from Kuwait.
I agree with you that I often find myself inspired by my Instagram reads. I checked out the account “Humans of New York”, and found that there are several accounts by that name. Is this the one you mentioned? I’ll attach a screenshot below. Thanks 🙂
Riquelme, H. E., Rios, R., & Al-Thufery, N. (2018). Instagram: Its influence to psychologically empower women. Information Technology & People, 31(6), 1113-1134. doi:10.1108/ITP-03-2017-0079
Sorry, I was not able to insert a picture in reply. Here is the link to my screenshot
Perhaps not as “deep” or insightful as some of the other posts here, but a mobile culture that I find surprisingly pleasant is memes! I think memes are great, in that they allow for a creative expression of feelings, perspectives, culture… as an analogy or metaphor. They are visual, concise, humorous, can be entirely superficial or very sophisticated and meaningful, has a target audience, and can be very thought provoking. The meme itself is not new, but the internet has allowed it to become more widespread and accessible in recent years (thus, it is referred to as the internet meme). We often hear people say that we are regressing back to times before writing text became a thing, when people drew symbols to express their histories and culture. Memes, I think, are different in that they are not necessary descriptive of collective histories, rather they are meant to draw in those with shared experiences, sometimes like and “inside joke”. I think they can be a good educational tool for teaching media literacy creatively. By judging the sources and context, analyzing the information behind the memes, or creating memes for oneself, one not only appreciates the memes more, but also becomes more informed about the subject. Of course, like everything else on the internet, moderation is necessary, and memes can also be dark, hurtful, racist, etc. The nature of memes is such that they may not always be inclusive. Is this a bad thing? Are there any memorable memes you’ve enjoyed? Would you need to explain it to someone “not in the know”?
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/krisolin/8662393150)
Binal, part of self care and mindfulness that others have mentioned is taking the time to destress, decompress, and enjoy some memes. They are part of our cultural landscape and have merited official collection and documentation by a team of “Meme Lords” at the U.S. Library of Congress. (Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/style/internet-archive-library-congress.html) They are engaging for students, and they love creating them.
The older and more disconnected from young people I get, the more solace I find in staying relevant by coming across memes I don’t get and then researching to figure out the reference or context. Personally, I love the old school i can has cheezburger cat memes – there’s a timelessness to them. On the topic of cats and lighthearted mobile culture, I will frequently view cat/animal instagram account for some warm fuzzies or a laugh. thatcatbobbie and mr.pokee have been two of my faves lately.
Oh cool, thanks for sharing that link, Mel! I would love to see their collection.
I love the cat memes also. Since I teach Chemistry, bad puns is kinda my thing. So at the end of every unit test, I used to add a bad joke/pun to cheer the kids up (and because Chemistry is hard!). For the last few times, I have been replacing my jokes with the Chemistry Cat memes to great success (and groans) 😀
I love the chemistry cat. I was a keener who enjoyed high school chemistry, but if memes had existed then, it would have been that much more engaging. I’d love to be in your class!
A pleasantly surprising trend in mobile culture is that of the increased opportunities to access mindfulness apps. There has been an increase in using these types of apps to remind us to take a break and take care of ourselves. There seems to be enough variety out there, that you can choose one that fits your needs and lifestyle. I have a few of these downloaded on my device, but often forget about them. Currently I am exploring StandUp which reminds me to get up and move. This has been a great little reminder to help me move, especially during this time of at home learning. I often find myself stuck in what seems like endless Google Meets, checking student online work and putting together videos, etc., that by the time it seems like I’m done, most of the day seems to be gone and I haven’t taken a break for me.
This goes along with what Juliano mentioned above – an increased awareness of mental health. It also relates a bit to what I posted below about the trend towards men discussing emotions online more. Digital/mobile culture definitely brings us a lot of risks for worsening mental health issues and it’s nice to see it start to bring us more coping strategies and interactivities that can have a protective or healing effect, like mindfulness apps.
I’m not sure if I’d call it surprising because I think culture has been solidly evolving towards this over the past 20 years, but a pleasant trend I’ve seen in recent mobile culture is men being more open about their feelings in public forums online. In many ways, it seems like blazing new ground, and I’m happy to see men feeling safe enough to embrace their emotionality and humanness in an open way. I’m also happy for them to have increasingly more outlets to process and understand emotionality.
A great example that I appreciate is the designer/illustrator Timothy Goodman, who amidst his posts on his design work also regularly shares content about his mental health struggles and difficult personal emotions on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/timothygoodman/
What do you think of this trend?
That is an interesting subject. Maybe because it is through an online platform that men might be willing to open more about their feelings. Online platforms such as this one, or canvas, allows those who have an introverted personality to express themselves. In my case, I am not a big talker. Writing a post and having a text conversation makes me feel more comfortable.
I personally do not like using FB or Ins, I feel like I need to once in a while upload something, is like doing homework. But, that is me. I think that this trend, such as Timothy Goodman, is a way to express your emotions. We usually need someone to talk to, emotional support. Sometimes it is better to share with a stranger rather than with those close to you.
You make a good point – it could be that the sense of “talking to a stranger” that social media gives us can make people feel safer to talk about their emotions. I think we’re also seeing more of a general cultural shift away from traditional definitions of masculinity, so that also brings more freedom for men to talk about their feelings publicly.
I see this with a few male artists and chefs I follow who openly discuss mental health and addiction issues, and it’s great that they are working to destigmatize those issues by sharing their struggles and successes.
Anne, your post caught my attention. This is a fascinating and thoughtful trend. Maybe not something specifically connects to mobile culture, but the internet and mobile technologies firmly encourage individual expression. It is great to see how men sharing their “weakness” openly with people, and with the help of mobile technology and the internet, their narratives are shared widely, and others who are struggling with the same issues can access to it. Knowing someone is in the same trouble would be very helpful. It is a positive challenge to the traditional and narrow understanding of the notion of masculinity.
Originally Posted by Marc Tavares on 18 Jan 2019
A recent trend that pleasantly surprises me is our growing self-awareness of the need to disconnect from our devices as seen through digital detoxes or taking extended breaks from an aspect of mobile technology such as social media. Our devices keep us constantly connected, informed, and in many instances, distracted from the present moment. I typically don’t believe in the idea of detoxes. Instead of saying I won’t consume sugar for a week, I think it’s better to be more aware of my sugar consumption and make a conscious effort to cut down on it daily. I think that’s why there are a few definitions of digital detoxes online ranging from putting your phone away for a week to a couple of hours each night. The most important part of this is acknowledging a need to disconnect. Checking an email that takes me only a few minutes to respond to has the potential to occupy my mind for an entire day. Being constantly connected, we’re on-call instead of taking time for critical thinking, creativity, and reflection. My digital detoxes start with turning off calendars, reminders, notifications, and emails on my phone. While on vacation, most of my use is based around maps and TripAdvisor. I hope our culture and workplaces stop seeing late night email responses as respectable or a testament of hard work ethic and instead see it as potentially detrimental to our productivity and overall health (https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2018/08/pamplin-employer-emailexpectations.html). Teens are also becoming self-aware of the amount of time they spend on their phones (https://qz.com/1367506/pew-research-teens-worried-they-spend-too-much-time-on-phones/). This self-awareness of the negative impact of always being connected is our first step to being less connected and hopefully happier, more productive, and creative as a result.
Originally Posted by Matt on 14 Jan 2019
The ability to join professionals in ongoing conversation may be the most advantageous trend for me regarding mobile technology. The ability to follow professionals in various fields from different countries allows me to extend my knowledge base and to stay informed about current issues in areas that are of interest to me. Long gone are my magazine subscriptions which have been replaced with Twitter feeds, blog posts and other forms of online communication. What always surprises me is how much people are willing to share online – it seems that the medium truly matches the needs of these individuals, and mobile technology furthers this.
Originally Posted by Mark on 21 Jan 2019
The ability to join professionals in ongoing conversation may be the most advantageous trend for me regarding mobile technology. The ability to follow professionals in various fields from different countries allows me to extend my knowledge base and to stay informed about current issues in areas that are of interest to me. Long gone are my magazine subscriptions which have been replaced with Twitter feeds, blog posts and other forms of online communication. What always surprises me is how much people are willing to share online – it seems that the medium truly matches the needs of these individuals, and mobile technology furthers this.
Originally Posted by norah smith on 17 Sep 2018
A surprising trend in mobile culture is the ability it’s given people to organize and protest perceived injustice. The most recent example being the Hong Kong protests that are not orchestrated by any one individual but are rather “leaderless”. Images and footage are easily captured and shared to broadcast the protest to the outside world. Apps like FireChat make it possible for protesters to keep in contact and coordinate without needing to be connected to a network. Many organizers believe that by allowing for voting on how decisions are made and what next steps should take place in group chats, they are protecting individuals from being charged. A variety of mobile tools have become instrumental to political mobilization.
Originally Posted by Galina Culpechina on 24 Jan 2019
What I find surprising is that nowadays mobile phones help to save lives and fight crimes. Mobile phones can save lives in particular situations such as road traffic incidents, outdoor accidents, or in rural locations, where access to landlines may not be available. One of my friends shared a story with me how her mobile phone saved her life when she fell off her bike in a remote place on a very cold November night and could not rise because of the severe pain (she had broken limbs). She was able to call 911. Although my friend could not provide the location to the woman on the line, the woman kept asking questions prompting my friend to look for different road signs, street names, etc., which helped the team to find her. That woman stayed connected with my friend until the 911 team found her. What is even more surprising is that mobile phones can help rescuers find you in the outdoors even if you have no reception. Mobile phones are also a great crime fighting tools as they contain call history, contacts, text messages, web browser history, email, a Global Positioning System (GPS), and other location information that police find valuable. Using their mobile devices, people can share evidence of crimes as soon as they happen. Nowadays, you can even use crime-fighting apps to help police.
Originally Posted by osummers on 19 Jan 2019
Stuffing more inside a smaller box. I appreciate how many tools people have at their disposal from within a single small device. Looking at it from an educational point of view, students with smartphones have a huge assortment of tools to help them with their studies. For example, my students are creating a scientific experiment to determine if the mass of an object affects the speed at which it falls to the ground. Those with smartphones have multiple tools to help them throughout their project. For example, they have a stopwatch to calculate the time of the falling object, a calculator to determine the average speed, a video recorder with slow-motion capabilities to determine the time of impact, a digital device that records their oral and written observations, and built-in Internet capabilities so that they can share the information with their peers. Before smartphones, students would have needed four or five different devices, and now they just need one, and with new apps coming out all the time the list keeps getting bigger….awesome.
Originally Posted by Kirsten on 20 Jan 2019
I’m pleasantly surprised at the free culture (sounds a little hippieish, I know) that runs in tandem with mobile technology. For anyone looking to acquire a new skill, create something, access wifi and store or share resources in the cloud using a mobile device, it’s not hard to find excellent free apps. A recent example is the move by Microsoft to make all of its mobile Office apps free for iPad and Android users. The free version of Office supports basic creating and editing of documents and editing. Sure, there are some caveats: some advanced features require a subscription to Office 365 but the point is, phone and tablet users can now view, create and edit documents for free, and they’ll be able to sync those documents with Dropbox or OneDrive cloud storage. For anyone involved in teaching and learning, the open, free information model in mobile culture is good news. The OER movement which emerged more than a decade ago is also gaining momentum. All of these free resources make learning on the fly and classroom learning a lot more accessible. In the past year, I have been able to initiate many new BYOD programs simply by leveraging the educational benefits of these freebies without any overheads.
Originally Posted by allison burnett on 16 Jan 2019
Mobile devices have allowed us to network and share knowledge in an informal, instant way that did not exist before. Last semester, I learned about UBC’s initiative to deliver secondary teacher training to teachers in the world’s largest refugee camp of Dabaab in Kenya (http://ets.educ.ubc.ca/secondary-teacher-education-program-in-dadaab/). Mobile devices were used by the teachers participating in the program, not only to interact with the faculty and course information, but also to stay connected while in their classrooms with their cohort. Mobile chat allowed the teachers to share issues they are experiencing in their class or school, or difficulat questions they have been asked in the classroom, and receive real-time answers and suggestions from other teachers/colleagues, even though they may be physically dispersed in different areas in the refugee camp. Teachers also use mobile messenging to extend in-person discussions on professional development related topics. The following article provides some further insight into how mobile devices are being used in beneficial ways by teachers at Dadaab: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/how-teachers-use-mobile-phones-education-tools-refugee-camps.