What is Absent Presence Theory

Mobile phones today hold a high level of importance to a changing communication environment. These devices both loved and hated differ dramatically in there usage from young adults to their parents and older users. A variety of instrumental and ritualistic gratifications have been found for adolescent mobile phone use. Research has shown that usage patterns are constructed partially based on relationships within social groups. Studies of how the public feels – or ‘folk framing' – about mobile phones suggest that the average member of society, whether a mobile phone user or not, has mixed feelings about this liberating technology (Katz & Aakhus, 2002). Framed within a uses and gratifications theoretical foundation, this article reviews the literature that has shaped mobile phone communication theory and studies over the last decade.