The Impact of the Mobile Phone on Four Social Institutions

By Richard Ling
English

This paper is an examination of the diffusion of mobile telephony in Norway, and particularly among teens. There has been a near saturation of this social group. Given this situation, it is of interest to know what this can tell us regarding the mechanisms of adoption. The author looks into the work of Rogers and that of Silverstone and Haddon and their domestication perspective. The positive and the negative sides of these approaches are examined in light of recent experience with the mobile telephone. Rogers' discussion of the social mechanisms behind diffusion and his work on the critical mass of communication equipment are of interest. On the other hand his basis in the world of marketing and perhaps simplistic diffusion progression are questioned. The alternative approach, that of domestication, is seen to be more of a global analysis of adoptions ex post facto. The approach provides one with an understanding of how innovations change and are changed by their social contexts. Finally, several areas of further research are outlined.

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