El proceso de mediatización de la telefonía móvil: de la interacción al consumo cultural

Abstract

Within the frame of the studies on the social impact of digital technologies, mobile telephony has traditionally shown a secondary interest, which contrasts with the speed, extension and intensity of its social penetration. Despite being (unlike the Internet) a market related technology in its designing and development, the massive use of mobile telephony produces deep socio-economic transformations that allow speaking of a 'mediatisation process'. The milestones of such evolution are identified as translocal communication (the possibility of being connected while moving in a wide area or in large trajectories) and the integration of data formats and services in a digital 'meta-device' for an always-on communication and access. This paper poses a panoramic approach through its implications, especially considering technological convergence, service diversification and the social transformations derived from its everyday use.