Enabled and Constrained: Personal Mobile Communication

Whether we are at home, at work, or at play, mobile communication has become a staple of the modern world. It is almost a necessity for those of us who lead busy lives. Mobile communication allows us to be instantly aware of a change in plans or an emergency. These things are important and finding them out sooner rather than later can facilitate an easier life. Others disregard the recently established social norms, holding the view that the busy life is not for them: they will figure everything out when they get home. The advantage to this way of thinking is a simplification of communication in an already complicated world. In this era of mobile communication it remains a personal choice whether to participate or not. We are both enabled and constrained by ubiquitous mobile communication in many ways. Let's look at one of each.

In their analysis of the social impacts of mobile telephony, Campbell and Park make an appropriate observation regarding the symbolic meaning of owning a mobile phone. We are not merely enabled by the technological aspects of the phone: how fast it can run, what apps can be used, the overall user interface. No, we are also enabled by the sense of individuality that can be found when purchasing a new mobile phone. Different brands offer varying styles and contrasts that can allow people to showcase their personalities through another medium. No longer are we confined to just dressing in a particular fashion. We can now fully utilize technological advancement to individualize the experience and presentation of our lives.

Of course, many might consider the style and symbolism of owning a particular mobile phone over another as a mere externality of the more important, technological aspects of the phone. However, I think it was an important point made by Campbell and Park that might otherwise be overlooked. People yearn to express themselves; mobile phones enable them to do so.

However, if you were to ask someone whether they wanted any commodity to impact their everyday life for the rest of their life they would almost certainly choose the contrary. This is where we can witness the constraints that pervade the era of personal mobile communication. There seems to be a certain obligation to comply with the social standards in this new era. These standards of 24-hour information and ubiquitous communication can be intolerable at times. Corollary to such a concept, Josgrilberg purports that what we do with our mobile phones cannot be separated from how we project ourselves into our everyday lives. Although lacking any empiricism or validity, Josbrilberg's work does further solidify the idea that we are now attached to our mobile devices whether we like it or not. Constraints will always be present, and sometimes they will make our everyday lives more difficult than desired.

Throughout history we have witnessed the impact of social revolutions and communes. Communication is part of human nature. The advantages vastly outweigh the disadvantages. We understand this. The issue now is whether this adaptation is desirable or not. It seems inevitable now, that this is the future.