What role does mobile media play during socially disrupted periods?
Continuity and Discontinuity of Personal Networks
We are living in a time defined by the frequent movement of people and information. With the increased mobility afforded by network technologies, many people are ever more socially and politically engaged –– extending our connections to different communities and information across time and space. Such persistent and ubiquitous connection of mobile media, however, has been the source of a decades-long debate among policymakers, writers and researchers. Nevertheless, we do not yet understand how mobile media is actually embedded in the everyday lives of many people and its significance within life transitions.
This project focuses on developing insights on the intricate relationship between the influence from social spaces, the cognitive capacities of users, and the materiality of networked technology. It does so by exploring different practices, experiences, and consequences of mobile media use during periods characterized by limited mobility and discontinuity.
Mobility in a Socially Distanced World
Many teens in America have been challenged by the recent political, environmental, and public health turmoil of 2020-2021. They are preparing to make their first step into their adulthoods disconnected from their peers, relying on mediated technologies for their everyday social interactions. This project explores different practices that college-minded senior high school students have with their networks during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Connected making of home
The very notion of home speaks to the growing importance of understanding place in an era defined by the high mobility of people and information. Mobile technology is found to play an instrumental role during cross-border migration –– from staying connected with people back home, to making new friends and deepening one’s understanding about the new society. These temporal and spatial negotiations create a unique set of technical, social, and informational contexts that condition the everyday practices of newcomers. Yet, many are concerned that the persistent continuity that mobile media facilitates is degrading our connection to our physical space. To examine these conflicting perspectives, this study explores how recently migrated teens in the Bay Area may reclaim a sense of agency, socialize, and access information.
Does mobile technology bring us closer together or further apart?
This interdisciplinary project explores the possibilities and limitations of mobile technology during different disjointed times that contest the very notion of mobility.
Participate!
Currently, we are looking for grade 12 high school students who are intending to go to college to participate in our study. The interview is 30 to 40 minutes over the phone. As an appreciation of your time, you will receive a $20 Venmo transfer or a gift card of your choice.
During the interview, you will be asked questions regarding;
your demographics and general experience with mobile apps;
screen time information; and
how phones are used to communicate with your friends
Participant compensation has been provided by
Faculty of Information, University of Toronto
Knowledge Media Design Institute, University of Toronto
Institute of Communication, Information, Culture and Technology, University of Toronto Mississauga
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junoh kimmm l Principal Investigator
hello.project.mobility@gmail.com l 408 506 9726
San Francisco, CA