Stald Symbiosis

Stald's chapter, "Mobile identity: Youth, identity, and mobile communication media," provides solid insight into the exploration of fluidity across communication styles, purpose, identity, presence, time, and fleeting contextual influences.  What proved most interesting to me was the recurrent theme through which symbiosis of physical identity and a mobile, or data-driven identity is created. In each of Stald's sections, recurrent language exploring this type of bond stood out to me.  To begin with, a sixteen-year-old boy is quoted on page 146: "'The question is if it has deprived us of the possibility of being 'offline?''"

The implications of not being “offline” or further, not having the ability to part from the mobile are haunting, and clearly delineate the younger generation from their elders.  While I would hazard to guess that most of us not from Generation Next use mobile devices and would not want to lose our information or device, (if anything, simply because it costs way too much to get a new one), we still clearly see a separation of data/information from self-identity.  Rarely do we see the mobile device as a precursor to friendships, a symbol of trust, a “promise of eternal loyalty” (p. 153).  Rarely does an "older" individual see the mobile as a medium of self-reflection.  Rather, its primary function is communication.  The extensions of friendship, loyalty, trust, self-reflection – the “link between social and personal identity” (p. 151) are those of the person – assumed responsibilities of the human alone.  The mobile device (much like the old-fashioned telephone) simply provides access towards meeting these ends for the older generations.  “Again and again, [youth] discussed on the one hand the almost uncontrollable use of the mobile, their fear of being without it and of being disconnected to their social network, and on the other hand, their experience of being unable to control the information flow…” (p. 150). 

As Stald explores the usefulness and necessity of the mobile device for Danish youth, she also begins to uncover the depth through which youth rely on the mobile and the position it resultantly takes in their life – evidenced in the way the youth begin to describe the active roles/relationship the mobiles assume.  “The mobile is a line to instant friendly support and emotional presence” (p. 152). Through her exploration of presence, Stald further recognizes that presence is a synonym for being.  The mobile provides emotional bonds; it is the infrastructure as well as the symbol for security, identity, and relation to group.  In other words, the mobile comes to represent the self; “…the absence of the mobile… is a threat to the important updating of the social network, and hence also to one’s own position, one’s ability to take part in social activities, and ultimately to one’s self-perception or identity” (p. 152).

The concept of no free moments is rather frightening to me, particularly as a mother of two young boys.  My husband and I consequently began to discuss the implications of this simple, resoundingly profound aspect.  Without the ability to "turn off" a mobile device, do individuals lose out on the sacred, private space of reflection?  When Stald described the “kind of cyborg” on page 158, I timidly began to fear witnessing my own son’s cyborg reality as a mobile device. When do we purchase telephones for our children? At the age of 13? 15? How, and what will we discuss with our children as they explore the identity play and symbiosis involved with these mobile devices? Are our children in danger of more influence, more influx of horrific messages because of this symbiosis?  Or, conversely, are we focusing too much on the infrastructure what is technologically happening and not the ethical guidance.  Afterall, all across the globe people have been succeeding with a lack of quiet, alone space for many years…how have thousands of children in India adapted with such grace yet often, with such a lack of space?  Access is simply access. It is a necessary, important  component, and we might revisit the role it will play in working to buttress and/or breakdown injustice if mobile devices are such a necessity for enculturation. An equally important question we might want to be asking is: how will we educate our students given this “intense pace of communication and of intellectual and emotional experience,” particularly in light one of Einstein’s famous quotes:  “I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn...?” 

Below are two links I thought were great/ lighter and helped me explore this concept of symbiosis a bit more. I am still struggling with it, and not entirely sure about how the intersection of addiction meets with mobile identity. Yet, Stald definitely articulated a much better interpretation of the importance of these devices for me.  In the video, a South Park spoof on Facebook, Stan is confronted by a friend who refuses to see the “physical” presence of their friendship, and instead focuses on this ephemeral, “data double” or symbolic presence that Stald articulates.

The other link is an article that, interestingly enough, led me to watch South Park.  If you get the chance, the entire episode is pretty hilarious… be forewarned lots of cuss words though.

Stald, G. (2008). “Mobile Identity: Youth, Identity, and Mobile Communication Media." Youth, Identity, and Digital Media. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press

by: Cristian Ghinea, Constantin Vica 

"The digital Pharmakon" retrieved October 25, 2010

http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2010-10-08-vicaghinea-en.html