A Social History of the Mobile Telephone with a View of its Future

Abstract

The social history of the mobile telephone involves both the history of technological development and an account of changing social and political frameworks into which the new technological developments become integrated. The technological innovations of mobile telephony were established from the 1940s, but it was not until the 1990s that adoption took off. It has been claimed that the mobile telephone revolution can be explained by changes in the way communication happens through social networks, away from old hierarchical forms. Several unique communicative and behavioural patterns have emerged in countries with mass use of the mobile telephone, including texting (SMS) and the development of new social norms. Nevertheless there is still huge global variation in use and development, and more research needs to be conducted which responds to very local patterns of use and reuse.