How The Mobile Phone Has Changed Our Identities

These are notes for a presentation based off the journal detailed below. Quite interesting.

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Changes in self resulting from the use of the mobile phone

Journal of Media Culture & Society

Jose M. Garcia-Montes

University of Almeria, Spain Ð'ÐŽV psychologist and teaches clinical psychology

Marino Perez-Alvarez

University of Oviedo, Spain - psychologist and teaches clinical psychology

Domingo Caballero-Munoz

University of Oviedo, Spain Ð'ÐŽV psychologist and teaches communication and media

Begins with international stats that reflect the rapid integration of the mobile phone into our pre-existing cultures

Ð'„Ð'» most rapid: Spain. From 1990-98 54,700 to 5,728,000 users

The lack of a mobile phone has become a marker/indicator for:

-lower education

-more likely to be unmarried

-more likely to have no children

-less likely to have full time job or even employment

ItÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s been said that all great technological innovations have brought about profound social and economic alteration and even new lifestyles. (Like the internet)

This journal article argues the same with the mobile phone. BUT because it is integrated into pre-existing cultures it doesnÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦t dramatically change everyday life but alter it Ð'ÐŽV the mobile phone alters the way of living.

Mobile phone uses

Uses of the mobile phone are diverse and satisfy the demands needs of each individual culture. Even though it is used in all different ways and for different reasons, the article argues that the mobile phone favours and promotes a particular way of behaving and way of understanding oneÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s own identity.

Ð'„Ð'» even though most mobile phone users take advantage of the device in very specific ways (necessity, organising events, when in danger etc), the contact with it tends to favour a different kind of use (intense and extensive).

History of the phone

Landline phone once restricted to a space, (my home, my office etc)

Mobile phone is not linked to anywhere

-causing increased freedom/individualism

Changes in business: prostitutes discreetly organising business via mobile phone

Taxi drivers, no central switchboard, get texts from friends and fasmile

Ð'„Ð'» thus taking away power from traditional institutional powers

Ð'„Ð'» this power- the individuals GAIN

The article ties this in with CushmanÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦s theory of the Ð'ÐŽÐ'§EMPTY SELFÐ'ÐŽÐ'Ё Ð'ÐŽV lack of tradition, community, shared meanings. Lack of personal worth and convictions.

Emotional hunger resulting in huge consumption of goods.

The mobile phone, they argue, perpetuates this notion of empty self, by ripping people away from under institutional power.

Also introduce the notion of the Ð'ÐŽÐ'§saturated selfÐ'ÐŽÐ'Ё spoke about a lot in the recent years due to mainly the internet and climb in consumption. (Information age etc) Can these be related? YES.

Article reconciles these by explaining that:

The vacuum left after the institutional power (which usually are the ones that make decisions on the way things will be done, restrict and allow certain things) has been taken away places heavy demands on the individual to deliberate and choose what is best. Without the instituational powers, tradition habit and convictions are broken down, and the individual person is left defenseless to the casual flow of stimuli. (especially advertising etc)

Thus, individualism is spurred on even further Ð'ÐŽV everyone reacts differently, makes different choices, formulates different desires and needs and habits.

The availability of the mobile phone

EVERYWHERE! Most people ask Ð'ÐŽÐ'§where are youÐ'ÐŽÐ'Ё Ð'ÐŽV person needs to know how to talk to them, relates to their context.

More and more people answering phones in restaurants

during a romantic dinner, or making private calls during business.

Both ways Ð'„Ð'Ñ- breakdown of private and public space.

Argue that we donÐ'ÐŽÐ'¦t actually like it, and want to separate private and public Ð'ÐŽV example of the Ð'ÐŽÐ'§twin cardÐ'ÐŽÐ'Ё used in spain, allowing separate business and personal calls. But overall, the lines have been blurred between