Young People and Seniors in Finnish 'Mobile Information Society'

Abstract

What is the significance of the mobile phone in the social relationships of young people and seniors? What kinds of informal and formal learning strategies do young people and seniors have in acquiring mobile phone and other ICT literacies? Young age groups have for long been the most active mobile phone users, but in the last few years the mobile phone use of over 60-year-olds has also been growing very rapidly in Finland and in other countries. This article presents research findings based on several research projects conducted at the University of Tampere on the use of mobile communication and the Internet among young people, families and seniors since the late 1990s. The research aims to explore the spread of mobile and Internet trends through study of communication and social networks among young people and seniors. The main methods have consisted of group discussions and thematic interviews among young people and seniors. By 2006, over 1500 Finns have participated in the study. The research indicates that for older generations, for whom it still constitutes a relatively new aspect in their personal histories and daily lives, the meaning of the mobile phone is highly different than for young people who have grown up into ICT citizens. Knowing the actual use contexts and user experiences of technology among different generations in their daily life can provide important insights on how to improve design and services associated with the technologies.

Useful, Social and Enjoyable: Mobile Phone Adoption by Older People

“…The flexible access to information has permitted both an increased productivity, and a timely access to help and support in case of need, improving users' feeling of personal and family security. Safety and security are recognized as most important reasons for MP adoption also among frailer (older and disabled) people, with a positive impact on personal independence [1] and self-image [35]. Aecent work in the tradition of acceptance modelling [45] has highlighted the importance of the distinction between utilitarian and hedonic technologies, and of the related distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, for the construction of explicit models of technology acceptance.…”

“…According to Ling and Haddon [30], there are several motives associated with the acceptance of the mobile phone, both for young and older people, including accessibility to information, display characteristics, arranging appointments, and safety that is a relevant factor especially for older people. Oksman [35] investigated the use of, and opinions about, the mobile phone by Finnish older people, reporting that many of them wanted to purchase it to increase security and communication, mostly with family member; recently, however, the usage of the mobile phone for communications with friends and acquaintances has increased. Kurniawan [23] reported that older people find the mobile phone more useful if it supports personal communication and provides sense of security, acting as a means of social integration and enhancing autonomy.…”

Mobilities in Finland’s Information Society Strategies from 1995 to 2010

“…Inspired by Nokia's success in mobile telecommunications, scholars started to talk about the birth of a mobile information society (Kopomaa, 2000;Puro, 2002;Oksman, 2006). The Finnish scholar Timo Kopomaa (2000) argued that the mobile phone played a central role in the shaping of the Finnish information society which could be understood as one where people's ways of life were based on either complete mobility or the lack of it (Kopomaa, 2000, 11).…”

Proceedings of the 16th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning

“…"Mobile devices have become commonplace tools, yet little is known about how individuals use them in their teaching, learning, work, and leisure" (Kukulska-Hulme & Pettit, 2009, p. 135). In the context of learning, networked mobile technology offers portability regardless of the location for both formal and informal learning, and is valued for personal communication (Oksman, 2006). Peters (2007) argues that the education and training sector needs to be informed about MD usage related to the potential of mlearning and future trends for pedagogical practice.…”

“…Oksman (2006) posits that "the actual use contexts and user experiences of mobile devices among different generations in their daily life can provide important insights on how to improve design and services associated with the technologies" (p.1). Kennedy et al (2006) assert that research is needed to determine the specific circumstances under which students would like their "living technologies" to be adapted as "learning technologies".…”