Endlessly Connected: Moving Forward with Agentic Perspectives of Mobile Media (Non-)Use

Kathrin Karsay, Laura Vandenbosch

Publications: Contribution to journalEditorialPeer Reviewed

Abstract

The ubiquity of mobile media devices provides an abundance of new challenges and opportunities relevant to mass communication research. In an ever-connected and “always-on” society, it seems as if the users have become an inseparable entity with their mobile devices, leading to novel online/offline social norms dynamics, demands for disconnecting and changed media literacy skills. This essay advocates for agentic perspectives of mobile media (non-)use by focusing on the characteristics and implementation of self-regulative and self-reflective processes. Following a literature review on the opportunities and threats of agentic uses of mobile media, we introduce the collection of four empirical studies—each contributing in a unique way to our understanding of agentic (non-)use of mobile media. The essay finishes by identifying future directions for research with the aim to inspire scholars from around the globe to broaden the discourse on mobile media research.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)779-794
Number of pages16
JournalMass Communication and Society
Volume24
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 508007 Communication science

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