Abstract
Mobile media, including portable communication technologies such as smartphones and other information communication technologies, have transformed how people understand, navigate, and interact with the world. Historically, media have always been mobile, enabling the dissemination of information across vast distances. However, the advent of mobile phones and, later, smartphones marked a turning point, integrating communication, location services, and diverse media formats into a single device. This convergence has profoundly impacted interpersonal communication, enabling constant connectivity while untethering individuals from specific locations. Mobile media have reconfigured our relationship with time and space. They facilitate virtual presence, blurring the boundaries between public and private, work and leisure, and presence and absence. At the same time, they enrich our experiences by layering virtual connections onto physical spaces, allowing for co-creation of meaning and narratives.
Early mobile phones were primarily used for interpersonal communication and afforded people the opportunity to contact others or be contacted when away from the home or office. Mobile phones also allowed the introduction of new forms of communication, such as short message service or texting. Smartphones, which are as much mobile computers as communication devices, further expanded possibilities, giving rise to a variety of apps that provide access to a wide range of media, including text, images, video, music, and games. Mobile apps can also be used to create, edit, and manipulate media. By using a smartphone’s camera, microphone, and specialized apps, people can capture and combine images, audio, video, and text. Networking capabilities such as mobile data and Wi-Fi networks make it possible to share that content from any location, which can enable sociocultural change.
Mobile media practices such as locative media and citizen journalism exemplify the communicative and social potential of these technologies. Locative media, utilizing location-specific data, reshape our perception of physical spaces, offering tailored news and interactive experiences like augmented reality gaming. Citizen journalism empowers individuals to document and share events in real time, fostering a sense of cultural membership and amplifying marginalized voices. Mobile media have also played a central role in activism and social movements since the 1990s. Smartphones have become indispensable tools for organizing protests, mobilizing support, and disseminating information globally. They enable the formation of digitally connected networks and amplify the voices of counterpublics, challenging established power structures and dominant narratives. At the same time, they can be used by commercial interests, law enforcement, and governments as tools of surveillance.