Scott W. Campbell

Perceptions of Mobile Phones in College Classrooms: Ringing, Cheating, and Classroom Policies

The purpose of this study was to explore some of the challenges associated with mobile phones in college classrooms. A sample of faculty and students was surveyed to assess the extent to which the technology is considered a serious source of distraction in the classroom, concerns about use of the technology for cheating, and attitudes about policies restricting it from ringing and being used during class. Collectively, participants reported strong perceptions of ringing as a problem and support for formal policies restricting mobile phones in college classrooms. Faculty/student status was not related to any of the attitude measures, but age consistently was—younger participants reported more tolerant attitudes. The discussion offers interpretation of the findings and avenues for future research.

Texting while driving on automatic: Considering the frequency-independent side of habit

This study tested the potential of the frequency-independent components of habit, or automaticity, to predict the rate of texting while driving. A survey of 441 college students at a large American university was conducted utilizing a frequency-independent version of the experimentally validated Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI; Orbell & Verplanken, 2010; Verplanken & Orbell, 2003). Controlling for gender, age, and driver confidence, analyses showed that automatic texting tendencies predicted both sending and reading texts while driving. The findings suggest that texting while driving behavior may be partially attributable to individuals doing so without awareness, control, attention, and intention regarding their own actions. The unique contribution of automaticity explained more variance than overall individual usage, and remained significant even after accounting for norms, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control. The results demonstrate the importance of distinguishing the level of automaticity from behavioral frequency in mobile communication research. Future applications and implications for research are discussed.

Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't…If You're a Girl: Relational and Normative Contexts of Adolescent Sexting in the United States

This study examines the relational, normative, gender, and age dynamics of adolescent sexting in the USA using open-ended questionnaires. Girls in the study were no more likely than boys to sext; however, they were more likely to experience pressure to do so, particularly from boys. Girls were commonly judged harshly whether they sexted (e.g., “slut”) or not (e.g., “prude”), whereas boys were virtually immune from criticism regardless. Older adolescents described sexting as occurring primarily within the context of flirting, romance, or sex, whereas younger adolescents reported what might be described as “pre-sexting” behaviors, involving the joking exchange of sexually suggestive (but non-nude) photos with platonic friends. Although some adolescents expressed a fear that sexting might lead to reputational damage, the normative climate and desire for approval motivated some to sext regardless. Implications and avenues for future research are offered in the discussion.

Mobile Phones Bridging the Digital Divide for Teens in the US

In 2009, just 27% of American teens with mobile phones reported using their devices to access the internet. However, teens from lower income families and minority teens were significantly more likely to use their phones to go online. Together, these surprising trends suggest a potential narrowing of the digital divide, offering internet access to those without other means of going online. This is an important move, as, in today’s society, internet access is central to active citizenship in general and teen citizenship in particular. Yet the cost of this move toward equal access is absorbed by those who can least afford it: Teenagers from low income households. Using survey and focus group data from a national study of “Teens and Mobile Phone Use” (released by Pew and the University of Michigan in 2010), this article helps identify and explain this and other emergent trends for teen use (as well as non-use) of the internet through mobile phones.

Mobile Communication and Social Capital: An Analysis of Geographically Differentiated Usage Patterns

Drawing from a representative sample of adults in the USA, this study explored the links between mobile communication and select indicators of social capital, while also accounting for usage patterns regarding the proximity of mobile contact. Overall, the findings show that mobile phone use intersects with proximity in distinctive ways that are related to spending leisure time with others in a face-to-face context and being active in organized groups and clubs. For individuals with primarily local usage patterns, both voice calling and text messaging were positively associated with social leisure activity. For those who primarily used the mobile phone to contact others from a distance, text messaging was positively related to social leisure activity, and for those whose mobile contacts were balanced between local and distant, voice calling was positively associated with active membership in organizations. Interpretation of these findings and directions for future research are offered in the discussion.

Mobile media and communication: A new field, or just a new journal?

This journal represents a step forward in the development of mobile communication studies as a field. This field has been establishing itself through a number of other initiatives as well, including conferences, symposiums, edited books, listservs, and centers for research. Despite this momentum, little attention has been given to defining – and justifying – the field itself. This essay begins by questioning whether there really is, or should be, a distinct field of study for research and theory on mobile media and communication. I then proceed to address this question by highlighting themes in the literature that illustrate how mobile communication is distinct from other forms of mediated communication and information exchange, with correspondingly distinctive social consequences. The essay argues that there are indeed justifiable reasons for treating mobile communication studies as a field. However, like the technology itself, this field is – or at least should be – highly integrated with research and theory of media and communication more broadly.

Mobile communication and strong network ties: Shrinking or expanding spheres of public discourse?:

This study tests theoretical propositions that intensive mobile communication in small networks of like-minded strong ties hinders open dialogue with others. Using multi-wave panel data from a representative sample of adults in the US, the study found that reported levels of open dialogue decreased slightly with mobile-mediated political discussion in small and like-minded strong-tie networks. Interestingly, a more pronounced positive effect was found for mobile-mediated discussion in larger networks of like-minded close ties. In this case, open dialogue was facilitated by mobile-mediated discussion, revealing potential for mobile communication among close personal ties to expand spheres of public discourse and deliberation. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are offered in the discussion.

Mobile communication and public affairs engagement in Korea: an examination of non-linear relationships between mobile phone use and engagement across age groups

This study examines the links between the use of mobile telephony and involvement in key areas of public life deemed important for a healthy society. We assess how three types of mobile phone uses (informational, relational, and social recreational) are related to two aspects of public affairs participation in South Korea (community engagement and political participation). Overall, findings in this study show significant roles of mobile phone use. For example, use of the mobile phone to seek out public affairs information and to discuss politics, i.e., informational use, was positively related to civic and political participation. Relational and social recreational use of the mobile phone was also found to have interesting and distinctive patterns of relationships with the criterion variables. Findings of this study mostly support the Mobile Reinforcement Hypothesis, which predicts that mobile communication primarily fuels trends already in place with the greatest benefits going to those who are already involved in public affairs, such as those who are older and with greater political interest. However, the observation of nonlinear relationships between mobile phone use and engagement dimensions along the age continuum strongly suggests that the political and civic role of mobile telephony is much more nuanced than previously assumed.

Predictors of mobile sexting among teens: Toward a new explanatory framework

This study posits a framework for conceptualizing the practice of adolescent sexting in order to help explain this behavior and inform decisions about whether and how to address it. Select theoretical propositions about the role of mobile communication in the “social emancipation” of youth were explicated and tested using a national survey of teens in the US. Drawing from this perspective, we hypothesized that sexting would be associated with levels of peer and family mobile connectivity, although in opposite ways, as well as parental control over the technology. As hypothesized, involvement in sexting was positively predicted by connectedness to peers through mobile communication and negatively predicted by connectedness to family. Although sexting was less likely with mobile connectedness to family, heavy-handed parental control over the technology was not a predictor. The discussion offers theoretical and practical implications of these and other findings, along with directions for future research.

Hearing the Other Side Revisited: The Joint Workings of Cross-Cutting Discussion and Strong Tie Homogeneity in Facilitating Deliberative and Participatory Democracy:

This study seeks to shed light on the highly publicized democracy dilemma signaling that encountering disagreement tends to promote deliberative democracy, while the same experience can dampen a citizen’s motivation to participate. By assessing the processes wherein the joint workings of cross-cutting discussion and strong tie homogeneity are simultaneously associated with the outcomes of deliberative and participatory democracy, we provide a number of key insights into the puzzling quandary. First, our results indicate that cross-cutting discussion and strong tie homogeneity interact with each other to predict increased political participation. Second, the relationship between cross-cutting discussion and preference for open dialogue is stronger for those who belong to a congenial primary network. Third, efficacious individuals seem more capable of translating the benefits of an ongoing deliberative orientation into meaningful political behavior. The current research suggests that deliberation and participation can go hand in hand under a particular network context.