JOUR3553

In the past 20 years, mobile communication has emerged as a rapidly-growing, popular, and economically and socially significant mode of communication around the world. First as voice-only devices intended for business use, mobile devices have proliferated and gained new functionalities. Smartphones are now the most common means of internet access in many countries, and mobile devices have brought together the capabilities of watches, computers, GPS trackers, and many other specialized tools. Today, two-thirds of the world’s population has reliable mobile phone access, and there are more mobile devices in existence than there are people on earth.

In light of these rapid developments, this course introduces students to scholarly analysis of mass mobile phone communication in the United States and globally. Beginning with a set of foundational discussions about mobile communication, the course moves through a series of thematic units examining mobile crowdsourcing, social movements, social life, development, media, and the future of mobile communication. Throughout, the course explores how mobile devices have been put to use and what new possibilities and risks lie ahead.