Mobile Affected Socialization

Mobile Affected Socialization

Gonca Telli Yamamoto
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-916-8.ch009
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Abstract

While mobile intrusion comes to life insidiously, it has been affecting our lives in many different ways. At first social networking and some implementations such as mobile dating comes to mind. On the other hand, mobile literacy and educational implementations are evolving and spreading rapidly with the facilities of mobile systems. Having turned into one of the most important elements that trigger and develop the social genes in the twentieth century, communication technology is also drawing the attention with its impacts that direct socialization. Internet and cyberspaces which are used in mobile communication create communication organs with their multi but non-conflicting features for person to person connections, where individuals focus on a unity through the utilization of different modes to connect (Urry, 2002). This environment is suitable to create virtual societies where many people join with various reasons and they should also be considered in terms of marketing. The inclusion of people on the Internet as social actors evokes gathering metaphor on the background. General behaviors of any kind of gathering such as chatting, discussing, challenging and keeping secrets are also seen on this platform (Sproull & Faraj, 1997). Chat rooms, organized clubs, facebook type of websites, and virtual games are places where people spend time or perform communication-based activities.
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Changing Thinking Styles & Social Gathering Metaphor

The Internet is considered as a place that brings people together with its means. People, who use information on Internet that creates the communication network, are not only the processors of information, but also the participants and programmers of social activities. Internet encompasses not only information, but also a search for a relationship, support and approval. With new mobile technologies, relationships can be formed very quickly beforetime.

In the social gathering metaphor, Internet and mobile devices are not just used in terms of personal information production process. It also provides the participation of the person in the social process through the communication, discussions and joint evaluations and it can be evaluated as a social element where the change-causing contributions are structured and distributed. In this metaphor, communication is based on the relationship between individuals. In the environment where people are regarded as social actors, Internet can also be described as a social technology. This technology carries information to minds that are included in the application area, with a feature that can be combined with human activities and procedures. Social technologies enable people to find others according to their common areas of interest talk and listen to each other and continue their connections in time. It is a well known fact that various groups and activities such as dinners, activity or sports (such as bowling) teams, college groups are created via social technologies (Sproull & Faraj, 1997). Interaction among people on the Internet and new mobile devices creates the feeling and thinking infrastructure that allows individuals to express and reflect themselves with their individual and social identities, explain themselves and know themselves.

The connections through computer technologies create the opportunity to question personal life, goals, intentions and information, and deliver them to many secondary people in the work and living environment (Turkle, 1997). It is possible to create virtual types in a virtual environment like the characters in Secondlife (Yamamoto, 2008). Therefore, during the exposition of individuality, brand new forms of thinking do not mind a “sexual change” where men present themselves as women or vice versa arises. However, individuality options in mobile communication are narrowing down with video technologies except for Internet and games.

The subject of differences created in the thinking styles of people through computer-based communication is gradually considered with more and more serious approaches and the influences on the physical existence or stance due to the transformation of physical distance into a less important factor than before are dwelled upon (Spagnolli, Varotto & Montavani, 2003). Besides, the increasing personal interests also lead into re-questioning of relationships among people and groups (Wiertz, de Ruyter & Streukens, 2002).

Here, three main objectives have been identified regarding attempts to communicate with others. The first objective is to benefit from the database of the target society and find ways of agreement through understanding the innovative values, the second target is to suggest personal ideas and gain some sort of reputation for self-satisfaction, and the third target is to entertain and spend good time. Such similar approaches are also valid for mobile societies and mobile phone users. The communication platform, which is obtained through devices physically available in the mobile environment, began to be used in a different way compared to conventional communication styles. Mobile communication allows for encountering with more intense but superficial transformations in human relationships. Mobile societies create a situation that facilitates convergence and interactions, and coming face to face and simplify the conversion of a virtual relationship into an actual relationship.

Therefore, mobile phones also introduce a brand new way of socialization into the lives of people. With social networks through this channel, people can more rapidly contact with groups that are suitable for themselves. Social networking is based on four basic focuses.

  • Activity focus

  • Interest focus

  • Work focus

  • Entertainment focus

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