In his article, “Mobile Identity: Youth, Identity, and Mobile Communication Media,” Gitte Stald examines three themes—youth, identity, and learning. Stald purposefully chooses “Mobile Identity” as a double meaning phrase. First, of course, is the influence of the mobile media on the identity of young people. Second, however, is the idea that adolescent identity is mobile, “changing and developing moment by moment over time, very sensitive to changes in the relations between friends and families, and to the emotional and intellectual changes experienced and mediated through the use of the mobile phone (among other factors)” (Stald, 2008, p. 143). Within the concept of mobile identity, Stald addresses the broad themes of availability, presence, personal log, and learning social norms. The impact of mobile phones on young people in Denmark are described in conjunction with each theme.
It is easy to read this chapter and see that the cell phone is a global “need” for young people. The theme of presence has probably exploded to a greater extent since this chapter was published because of the iphone. Also, it appears that the youngest person cited by Stald was fifteen years old. It would be interesting to also consider the youngest age of cell phone users and how this may have changed between 2008 and today.
I have a unique perspective having two sons that are twelve years apart. Our oldest son, who just turned 20, was in middle school and high school when the cell phone and the social networking sites (for him it was all about MySpace) were gaining great acceptance and use. It was strange to watch the cell phone and MySpace become such a factor in his identity and therefore such a necessary connection to friends and “the world.” In fact, when he was sixteen we saw the need to punish him for low grades in school. Thinking that a sixteen year old boy could not live without a car we first restricted him from driving. When his grades did not improve as expected, we decided to cut-off his cell phone. Based on his reaction, we might as well have removed a vital organ from his body. The cell phone was much more important than his car. After all, he could text his friends and someone would come and pick him up. We also learned a lesson when he received a cell phone five years ago. “Unlimited text” was a foreign concept and seemed like such a waste of money at the time. In our naïve parental brains we thought, “Clearly, no one could ever or would ever exceed the text limit per month that we purchased.” We were proven quite wrong in just 30 days with our first cell phone bill. Requesting and receiving a log of the times of each of the text messages and also requesting the number of one word text messages that were sent was shocking. Seeing "K" over, over was mind boggling. Were teenagers too lazy or cool to not even put the O on "OK" now? George Orwell was right!
It is somewhat funny now to think about how we as parents were negotiating the learning curve of how important the cell phone was to our teenage son. Now we would chalk those experiences up to “rookie mistakes” considering the common knowledge that most parents seem to have now about how many text messages teenagers send or will send which causes nearly everyone (I would think) to choose the unlimited text plan if a teenager is going to be on your cell phone plan. As parents we would also not be so naïve now to think that a car is more important than a cell phone. A car used to be the connection to “freedom” and “the outside world” for a teenager. Now it is a cell phone with unlimited texting, and a monthly data plan for going online to check certain websites or to communicate through Facebook. We don’t yet know what technology implications we will face with our youngest son who is eight. However, one change is clear in relation to the cell phones. The cell phone “battles” that parents were having with their ninth and tenth grade children just five or six years ago are now occurring between parents and their fifth and sixth grade children. I'm not sure what this says about the changing dynamics of parenting and other societal issues but I'm sure it says a great deal about the clear connection between mobile technology and youth.
For a better understanding of the key role that cell phones play in the lives of teenagers note the PEW Research from April 2010 at http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1572/teens-cell-phones-text-messages
It is somewhat funny now to think about how we as parents were negotiating the learning curve of how important the cell phone was to our teenage son. Now we would chalk those experiences up to “rookie mistakes” considering the common knowledge that most parents seem to have now about how many text messages teenagers send or will send which causes nearly everyone (I would think) to choose the unlimited text plan if a teenager is going to be on your cell phone plan. As parents we would also not be so naïve now to think that a car is more important than a cell phone. A car used to be the connection to “freedom” and “the outside world” for a teenager. Now it is a cell phone with unlimited texting, and a monthly data plan for going online to check certain websites or to communicate through Facebook. We don’t yet know what technology implications we will face with our youngest son who is eight. However, one change is clear in relation to the cell phones. The cell phone “battles” that parents were having with their ninth and tenth grade children just five or six years ago are now occurring between parents and their fifth and sixth grade children. I'm not sure what this says about the changing dynamics of parenting and other societal issues but I'm sure it says a great deal about the clear connection between mobile technology and youth.
For a better understanding of the key role that cell phones play in the lives of teenagers note the PEW Research from April 2010 at http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1572/teens-cell-phones-text-messages
Stald, G. (2008). Mobile identity: Youth, identity, and mobile communication media. In D. Buckingham (Ed.), Youth, identity, and digital media. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series: Digital media and learning (pp.143-164). doi: 10.1162/dmal.9780262524834.143
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteYou vision of the youth and mobile technology is dead accurate. Why they place cell phones on such a pedestal makes more sense to me now after reading stald and other writings. Of course these things are important if they play a big role in developing youth identity and self expression (as lame as that sounds). I can't help but wonder how real - or how genuine these mobile identities are. Technology affords people to be "whoever they want" behind the privacy of the computer or mobile curtain.... Which is so different from face-to-face "real" relationships. Can we expect to see a rise in multiple personality disorders in the future?
You know that I too have a teenager who pitches a major fit whenever I cut off her facebook or cell phone priviledges. It seems like such a crutch. But, perhaps I am just too old to understand her need to assoicate in virtual and physical realms.
What was interesting about the last article (and what you and I probably already know from having teenagers) is that actually most social networking is done between teens who already know each other in "real life." I am not aware of teens using avatars a great deal to create a persona and visit second life gathering spots to meet strangers. Perhaps this just hasn't exploded yet like the pervasiveness of Facebook and cell phones or maybe the media just hasn't really described it much yet. I never used to "get" texting but now I like the convenience. I am reminded of how my cell phone has become part of my life each morning as I turn off the alarm. We will be able to add "setting an alarm clock" to the list of things that the current generation has no idea about in addition to replacing a record needle and standing up to change the channel on the TV.
ReplyDeleteDennis,
ReplyDeleteI asked Jenica (my daughter) about cell phones this morning as I was driving her to school. She said that she doesn't like to talk on hers - she would rather text. She also said that her peers are now talking like their texting. "k" and "lol" have entered her vernacular.
I told Jenica about a young man who couldn't use his cell phone because of his job as a construction worker (see Jesse's post on Jeanette's blog). I explained that the young man later learned discipline and broke his constant need to be "connected." She said that she doesn't like to answer her cell phone and that Blackberries and IPhones are what is hot right now anyway. She said the Blackberry allows you to do so many things like go to "Tumbler." "What is Tumbler?" "It's like facebook with blogging - not so many kids know what it is, that's why I like it." I asked her if she still uses facebook. She said, no it was taking up soooo much of my time and Dad, I am soooo busy with school. So now that I don't respond to my friends' texts and facebook - they shun me when they see in person.
So I guess teenagers go through these phases. The studies must continue because the issues are still evolving right in front of our eyes.