Mobile technology has given individuals so much power, some of which simply do not know how to wield it. Convergence within the communicative world through mobile technology is changing the way we interact with those around us completely, both professionally and personally.
Gordon in his article ‘The Mobile Phone and the Public Sphere’ draws to our attention how our mobile phones may one day become an important tool, used to report events from a first person perspective. However, I feel that this occurrence has taken place since this article was written. A recent example would be the recent uprising of the people of Egypt, trying to overturn the regime of President Hosni Mubarkak.
When the riots commenced, the government shut down the Internet in Egypt, so people could not communicate and rally together further on the web. In this scenario, mobile technology was incredibly important as it was the only method journalists, and citizens could broadcast messages and stories to the outside world. Mobile technology allowed for citizen journalism to occur, empowering these individuals, essentially giving a voice, to the voiceless.
Reference List:
Gordon, J 2007, The Mobile Phone and the Public Sphere: Mobile Phone Usage in Three Critical Situations, accessed 23/3/2012, Sage Database.
The Internet, An Abyss 