Abstract
Cell phones present new forms of sociality and new possibilities of encounter for young people across the globe. Nowhere is this more evident than in sub-Saharan Africa where the scale of usage, even among the very poor, is remarkable. In this paper we reflect on the inter-generational encounters which are embedded in young people’s cell phone interactions, and consider the wider societal implications, not least the potential for associated shifts in the generational balance of power. An intriguing feature of this changing generational nexus is that while many young people’s phone-based interactions, from their mid-teens onwards, are shifting away from the older generation towards friendship networks in their own age cohort, at the same time they are repositioning themselves – or becoming repositioned – as family information hubs, as a consequence of their phone expertise. The paper draws on mixed-methods research with young people aged c. 9–25years and in-depth interviews with older age-groups in 24 sites (ranging from high density poor urban to remote rural) across Ghana, Malawi and South Africa.
Highlights
Cell phones present new forms of sociality and new possibilities of encounter for young people across the globe: nowhere is this more evident than in sub-Saharan Africa, where fixed telephone lines are few and mostly restricted to privileged elders (Porter et al, 2012)
Mobility-focused field research in 2006–9 in 24 diverse sites across sub-Saharan Africa first alerted us to possible emerging intergenerational tensions associated with young people’s cell phone usage (Porter et al, 2010, 2012). Returning to these sites in 2012, we found that cell phone ownership and usage among this group had expanded massively, even in the most remote rural areas, while in urban areas the smart phone with associated internet and regular access to social network sites is an essential accoutrement of ‘cool youth’, often from their early teens
Our original child mobility study in 2006–10 [www.dur.ac.uk/ child.mobility/] focused principally on the physical mobility of 9– 18 year-olds, in Ghana, Malawi and South Africa, but included questions about the virtual mobility afforded by mobile phones
Summary
Cell phones present new forms of sociality and new possibilities of encounter for young people across the globe: nowhere is this more evident than in sub-Saharan Africa, where fixed telephone lines (land lines) are few and mostly restricted to privileged elders (Porter et al, 2012). Mobility-focused field research in 2006–9 in 24 diverse sites across sub-Saharan Africa first alerted us to possible emerging intergenerational tensions associated with young people’s cell phone usage (Porter et al, 2010, 2012). Returning to these sites in 2012, we found that cell phone ownership and usage among this group had expanded massively, even in the most remote rural areas, while in urban areas the smart phone with associated internet and regular access to social network sites is an essential accoutrement of ‘cool youth’, often from their early teens. Kneidinger (2014), focusing on generational differences in internet usage in Austria and Germany, suggests that while many older people use social network sites (from phone or PC) and feel their relations with young people have intensified, youth mostly do not observe any intensification. It is useful to bear these findings in mind in reviewing the evidence from sub-Saharan Africa which follows
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