Originally posted by Andrew Yeung on May 28, 2018
Mobile culture involves technology giving meaning back to ‘no-where places’ and ‘no-when times’ (Caronia, 2005). Otherwise unmeaningful moments like bus waiting or walking somewhere can be reclaimed, not for informative productivity but often for social connection. Relationships between human and technology can equally be liberating or constraining (Choi, 2007), where technology extends self-identity while humans continue to desire being in control. What is the motivation for participation, and how do contributions evolve within contexts? Schools traditionally create socialization opportunities, where phones construct private spaces amidst public worlds. Mobile devices record undocumented experiences for digital archives, leading unfortunately to addictions for excessive use, withdrawal and sense of entitlement (Hammer et al., 1999). Curiously despite negative correlations between laptop use and final grade for instance, millennial students feel the urge to stay connected at all times. Whereas reading newspapers during lectures was considered rude and socially unacceptable, mobile devices nowadays often receive hesitant ambivalence (Hammer et al., 1999). Teacher responses similarly vary between banning laptops and self-monitoring. As modern students balance continuous partial attention, educators need to create flexible situated rules based on rewards.
References
Caronia, L. (2005). Feature Report: Mobile Culture: An Ethnography of Cellular Phone Uses in Teenagers’ Everyday Life. Convergence, 11(3), 96-103.Arrival of mobile communication was redefining roles and identities of members
Choi, J. H. J. (2007). Approaching the mobile culture of East Asia. M/C Journal, 10(1).Society develops technology as much as technology develops society
Hammer, R., Ronen, M., Sharon, A., Lankry, T., Huberman, Y., & Zamtsov, V. (2010). Mobile culture in college lectures: Instructors’ and students’ perspectives. Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects, 6(1), 293-304.