“Mobile Republic: Visual Approaches to Discourse in South African Mobile Social Networks” presented by Walton
Symposium:
Session Title:
- Appropriating Social Media
Presentation Title:
- Mobile Republic: Visual Approaches to Discourse in South African Mobile Social Networks
Presenter(s):
Venue(s):
Abstract:
Social networks are believed to broaden participation and deepen democracy, but may play a role in reproducing social divisions. This project highlights the differences between computer users, whose social network use constitutes a form of mediated public, and mobile-centric users who primarily access the Internet via their phones, and whose contributions often remain digitally invisible. Mobile social networks serve a growing number of people with limited or no access to computers, who use their mobile phones as a primary form of Internet access, and who often do not use the platforms popular among computer-users. Differences in platform thus inscribe race, class, urban-rural and national divisions.
