From “World Wide Web” to “global mobile network” | Digital Letterpress: Part 3

In his keynote given in 2007, Steve Jobs announced what would become a game-changer for the world: “An iPod, a phone, an internet mobile communicator—these are not three separate devices… And we are calling it iPhone… Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone.” It is hard to believe that statement is not even ten years old. In such a short amount of time, Apple’s “reinvention” of the phone has proven to change more than how we talk on the phone; it changed the way we connect with people, conduct business, use the internet, and simply go throughout our day. Jobs saw value in the idea of mobile, and he looked for a way to improve it and move the platform forward. Likewise, as communicators we should take a look at how important mobile devices are for the development of our society. The mobile platform offers tremendous opportunities for connection and advancement, the power of which cannot be overstated.

I believe our transition to mobile pivots around two questions. Is mobile asserting itself as a dominant player (compared to the home PC, laptops, etc.) on the world stage? And should it be the center of our technological development moving forward (as opposed to focusing on the development of the above-mentioned devices)?

To answer the first question, Danyl Bosomworth of Smart Insights describes a “tipping point” for mobile versus traditional devices. For internet usage alone, he cites that the mobile platform has risen from 12% of usage across all devices in 2008 to accounting for 51% of usage in 2015. At the same time, desktop and laptop computers accounted for 80% of internet usage in 2008 but only 42% in 2015. Bosomworth also explains a similar trend for screen time spent on devices, displaying a steady climb for mobile usage. (I will paste the link to this article at then end of the posting.) We are seeing a transition in how we choose to consume our media as well as how we connect with each other. As time goes on, I believe the widespread use of mobile devices will only grow, creating a wider network of connectivity and communication.

Before I look at the second question, I would like to explore why mobile has been adopted by society so quickly. I mentioned before that the iPhone was announced 9 years ago this month. Think for a moment how slowly progress moves in Congress during a two-term presidency and compare that to the wildfire that has been the progress of the smartphone in a similar time-frame. While smartphones do not account for all “mobile” devices in the world, they have done much to advance the way we use the platform. They not only gave us the ability to easily surf the web, but they developed apps that changed the way we used the internet itself.

Smartphones give power to people (and we love it). For an “in the moment” generation, mobile allows us to have instant connectivity readily available. We live for the magic of a shareable moment whether it is found in nature, community, events, etc. We can photo, video, and store what happens instantly whereas in the past, it was more difficult to store those memories. Video cameras were expensive and big. Photos required actual film development. Mobile smartphones, however, now give us both of those worlds with the click of an app. On a bigger scale, cultural events are no longer only viewed through the lenses of three major news networks. Instead of relying on professional media to show footage of important current events, cellphones allow anyone to film and share his or her own perspective. Through social media, we can see a million different perspectives of the same speech, election, or even tragedy. The platform connects us in ways that generations before us never experienced.

Furthering the idea of mobile empowerment, Janey Gordon theorizes in Convergence that “the mobile phone may be challenging conventional and official sources of information, that the use of mobile phone technology in critical situations would be beneficial to the public sphere and that mobile phone usage might influence the primary definitions of news, news agendas and news gatekeepers.” This article displayed three cultural scenarios which were vastly affected by the existence of mobile technology. The instant connectivity of SMS, of voice calls, and of social media postings allowed for more intimate access to the events themselves. The platform also changed the way that news spread due to having individuals onsite updating the world from their phones.

In a similar way, mobile connectivity gives users the power of information distribution, self-promotion, and communication with consumers. This perk is great for companies that want to be close to their audiences. They have the ability to speak directly to them instead of relying on third parties to print or air advertisements. Andreas Kaplan of Kelley School of Business refers to this as “user-generated content (UGC).” Kaplan writes: “If your company does something truly extraordinary, chances are that the Foursquare community will talk about it and probably transform a simple company message into a viral marketing phenomenon.” This ability to use the mobile network illustrates the power given by such technology.

So once again I raise the question, “Should the mobile platform be the center of our technological development moving forward?” I believe it should be a high priority. As the mobile device continues to “get in the hands” of people around the world, we will see further connection, communication, and development. Since mobile has the ability to reach further than any other device before it, I think advancing its abilities and service would be beneficial.

“Providing minimal services (Health, Education, Government…) to rural communities and under-privileged populations in Developing Countries is of major importance to improve people lives, and to sustain development” writes Stéphane Boyera in The Mobile Web to Bridge the Digital Divide? on the spread of the mobile platform. The article goes on to explain that “using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) would be the easiest and possibly alone way to develop and deploy those services. Now, with the explosion of mobile telephony and the incredible penetration rate of mobile phones in the Developing World compared to PC or even fixed-line telephony, it is clear that those devices are the natural mean to support and provide services.” Mobile gives the globe a network, and if we can find ways to connect more communities, we can reach and help more people. We can further understand the needs of others, giving us a chance to help them and vice versa.

Communication is a gift and the ability to use current and new technology to reach audiences is an art. Steve Jobs looked at the mobile platform and saw a way to change the world with it. One seeking to be a communicator, an artist of a sorts, should be looking at ways to change the game as well. We have a medium on our hands that is reaching further than any before it, so what will we do with it? We have the opportunity to reach new listeners, to open new dialogues, and to give voice to those who have been silent until this time.

I urge us to move forward in a manner that is worthy of that responsibility.