Mobile phone use among university students from Isfahan (Iran) and Malaga (Spain). Comparative study in the social and academic field.

The work presents a comparative analysis of mobile phone use by university students from two universities, a group from Isfahan (Iran) and another from Málaga (Spain). To do this, two groups of young people (90 students from the Faculty of Education of Isfahan and 108 students from the University of Málaga) responded to an online survey translated to Farsi, which analyzed several of the items. The data indicate that the presence and use of the mobile is very widespread among the young population. Nine students out of ten keep the mobile on forever. Although differences are observed in the use of applications, times, etc., and in the case of the sudents of Isfahan it seems to be used more frequently in almost all sections (social networks, informal chat, photographs, etc.) than its Equals of Spain. The results confirm the strong implantation of the mobile phone in the social life of young people but not so much as an academic or professional resource of the same.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Using Technology to Connect Public Libraries and Teens

Today’s teens use technology in most aspects of their lives: 95% of teens go online; 80% of online teens use social media (Lenhart et al., 2011); and 87% of older teens have a mobile phone (Lenhart, 2012). This article explores how public libraries can use technology to effectively connect with and serve their young adult patrons. A review of current literature suggests that librarians begin by involving teens in the planning of young adult services and teen library spaces. These services should include librarians trained in working with teens as well as access to technology and gaming. Libraries must understand how and why teens use technology and the Internet. They should then use this knowledge to plan and develop an online presence. Today’s librarians should use library websites and social networking sites to connect with teens. In addition, libraries must address other technologies that interest teens such as mobile devices and e-reading. Technology changes rapidly, and librarians must stay current on best practices for reaching out to and serving today’s teens

Staying in touch in the digital era: New social work practice

The findings of a small-scale empirical study are drawn upon to explore the concept of social presence and the way in which it can contribute to meeting service users’ expectations of relationship-based social work. Findings from the study highlight the role of mobile communication technologies in establishing social presence with service users and an argument is made for the proactive use of mobile devices as a component of direct practice. However, such emerging digital social work practices will require practitioners, and social work organisations, to respond positively to new ethical and organisational challenges

How Does Mobile Computing Develop Transactive Memory in Virtual Team? A Social Identification View

The advancement in mobile computing technologies has shown great potential to drive efficiency and effectiveness of knowledge work in virtual teams. Despite their ubiquity, theoretical and empirical research investigating the impact of mobile computing artifacts on development of transactive memory in virtual teams is in its infancy. Drawing on the social psychology literature, we propose a social identity based view to understand how the use of mobile computing artifacts is associated with the development of transactive memory system (TMS) in virtual teams. Specially, the use of four categories of mobile computing artifacts (i.e., ubiquitous co-presence, status disclosure, context search, and customized notification) is proposed to enhance social identification, which thereafter promotes TMS development in terms of specialization, credibility, and coordination. This study offers a new perspective on the mechanisms through which mobile computing artifacts facilitate TMS development, and it yields important implications for the design of mobile strategy in organizations

Meerdere schermen in de huiskamer: een onderzoek naar simultaan mediagebruik

Today’s (home) media environment is becoming increasingly saturated. Smartphones, tablets and laptops enter our living rooms and possibly alter our television viewing experience. In this paper, we want to grasp to what extent the use and role of television changes in the presence of multiple mobile media technologies. Through a multi-method approach we explore TV viewing behavior in a media-rich living room. Survey results indicate that the ownership of multiple media technologies in the home environment promotes their use whilst watching television. In addition, in-depth interviews reveal that in these media-rich living rooms media consumption becomes both more individualized and more social. According to the interviewees, social interaction within the living room has not decreased, but rather complemented with online conversations. These conversations can be in accordance (or congruent) with television content, but most of the time they are unrelated (or incongruent)

Mapping, sensing and visualising the digital co-presence in the public arena

This paper reports on work carried out within the Cityware project using mobile technologies to map, visualise and project the digital co-presence in the city. This paper focuses on two pilot studies exploring the Bluetooth landscape in the city of Bath. Here we apply adapted and ‘digitally augmented’ methods for spatial observation and analysis based on established methods used extensively in the space syntax approach to urban design. We map the physical and digital flows at a macro level and observe static space use at the micro level. In addition we look at social and mobile behaviour from an individual’s point of view. We apply a method based on intervention through ‘Sensing and projecting’ Bluetooth names and digital identity in the public arena. We present early findings in terms of patterns of Bluetooth flow and presence, and outline initial observations about how people’s reaction towards the projection of their Bluetooth names practices in public. In particular we note the importance of constructing socially meaningful relations between people mediated by these technologies. We discuss initial results and outline issues raised in detail before finally describing ongoing work

Communication-Wear: User Feedback as Part of a Co-Design Process

Communication-Wear is a clothing concept that augments the mobile phone by enabling expressive messages to be exchanged remotely, by conveying a sense of touch, and presence. It proposes to synthesise conventions and cultures of fashion with those of mobile communications, where there are shared attributes in terms of communication and expression. Using garment prototypes as research probes as part of an on-going iterative co-design process, we endeavoured to mobilise participants’ tacit knowledge in order to gauge user perceptions on touch communication in a lab-based trial. The aim of this study was to determine whether established sensory associations people have with the tactile qualities of textiles could be used as signs and metaphors for experiences, moods, social interactions and gestures, related to interpersonal touch. The findings are used to inspire new design ideas for textile actuators for use in touch communication in successive iterations

VIRTUALLY PRESENT: AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF COMMUNICATION LOOK AT THE SHAPING OF SOCIAL RULES IN SMALL GROUP INTERACTIONS MEDIATED BY MOBILE DEVICES

In this study I describe the communication rules that inform how particular bar patrons use mobile device technologies to shape particular types of small groups. Mobile devices have increasing been naturalized into the communicative landscape and the effects of this need to be explored. I focus on a college bar, MVF, to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the sets of rules surrounding mobile device use in small groups at MVF during late afternoons and evenings? (2) What are meaning(s) users and other group members attribute to the use of mobile devices at MVF during late afternoons and evenings? (3) What particular type of small group does the use of mobile device technology enable and mediate? I argue that mobile device technologies enable and mediate the presence of three types of social groups, specifically, suspended groups,\u27 \u27procured groups,\u27 and \u27transitory groups.\u2

Can You Please Put Your Phone Away? Examining how the FOMO phenomenon and mobile phone addiction affect human relationships

This study attempts to identify how attachment to social media as well as attachment to other forms of communication technology can lead to addiction to mobile devices and affect non-virtual interpersonal communication. I examined the phenomenon known as the fear of missing out, or FOMO, which can be defined as apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent. Experiencing FOMO can lead to overuse of and even addiction to social media, another category I examined, because addicted individuals want to stay more up-to-date with social networks and social media is the most efficient way to do so. This, by default, also connects to overuse of mobile devices due to ease of access with mobile social networking applications. This addiction is linked to loneliness and depression in and of itself, but the general overuse of mobile devices also has negative effects on interpersonal face-to-face communication, the final category that I researched. Numerous studies showed that the use or even mere presence of a mobile phone decreased interpersonal trust in conversation partners. Therefore it can be inferred that excessive social media use can lead to loss of non-virtual connections. Further research into the psychological impact of virtual communication addiction is needed to explore these incredibly new phenomena and help to prevent addiction and negative associations with new technologies.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1146/thumbnail.jp