Manuel José Damásio, Patrícia Dias, Sara Henriques and Inês Teixeira-Botelho, CICANT and Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Portugal, ‘Mobile Devices as drivers of Social Capital: How can apps’ change communication dynamics within a community’ presented at 'Communities in the Digital Age' International Symposium, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK, 12 June 2013

1. Manuel José Damásio (mjdamasio@ulusofona.pt)
Patrícia Dias, Sara Henriques, Inês Teixeira-Botelho
Universidade Lusófona [ULHT]
Center for Research in Applied Communication, Culture and New Technologies
[CICANT] http://cicant.ulusofona.pt
Mobile Devices as Strenghteners of Social
Interaction: Apps and changes in mobile
communication
“COMMUNITIES IN THE DIGITAL AGE” INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
CANTERBURY CHRIST CHURCH UNIVERSITY
12TH JUNE 2013, CANTERBURY, UK

3. - To characterize mobile internet usage and the most
popular activities undertaken via this technology;
- To identify the relevance of mobility in specific
social settings;
- Comparing fixed and mobile access to the internet
and the consequences thereof (particularly for
social capital);
- Understanding how different players – stakeholders
and users – face a changing technological
environment.
Objectives

4. Are stakeholders’ and users’
perceptions about the use of mobile
technologies far apart? [YES]
Is mobile internet access a key factor
in determining changes in patterns of
internet use? [YES]
Does the mediation of mobile
technologies impact online
communities and social capital? [YES]
Research Questions and Hypothesis

5. State of the Art
Mobile Internet Concept?
On the move?
3G, 4G ?
Wireless?

6. Mobile Internet Adoption – Key adoption drivers
What’s in it for me?
State of the Art
Stakeholders
TAM/ UTAUT
Users
Activity Theory
“direct effects from access” –
direct network effects
“direct effects from activities” –
indirect network effects
Network Theory

7. 1st Stage

8. Method
Stakeholders Users
Qualitative Methods Quantitative Methods
Interviews about m-internet adoption
and use
Longitudinal Inquiries about m-
internet use (2 surveys so far of
population representative
samples)

9. Results: Qualitative study
 Mobile Phones Manufacturing Companies:
 Sony Ericsson
 Nokia
 LG
 Market Research Companies:
 Marktest
 Netsonda
 GFK
 Mobile Marketing Companies:
 Timwe
 Mobile Network Operators:
 Vodafone
 ZON
Stakeholders

10.  Age
 ¼ of youngsters (<25) uses m-internet via smartphone; adults (25-34) are
the majority using m-internet, mostly to access social networks, email,
weather forecast and m-banking; seniors (>64) use m-internet less
 Gender
 Most m-internet users are men; the same amount of men and women
accesses social networks via m-internet
 Education
 M-internet users have a good social and economic status, live in urban
centers and have good education levels
 Usage time
 M-internet is frequently used but for short periods, often for utilitarian
purposes; peak usage is at lunch time, at the end of the afternoon, and
there is a “prime-time” between 22h and 24h; Friday is the day with more
traffic
Users’ Profiles
Results: Qualitative study

11.  Smartphones still have some limitations regarding
 Quality of screens, storage capacities, edition tasks and collaboration
tools.
 Non-optimized websites
 Price plans
 High prices and limited traffic
 Lack of information and, or knowledge
 The lack of information and low levels of media literacy regarding the
existent services and their ability to absorb technology are still obstacles
to the spread of mobile internet
Limitations and Obstacles to Adoption
Results: Qualitative study

12.  Social networks
 Social networks and email access are the main reasons to have mobile internet and the
main banners in attracting customers to this service; 70% of teenagers access social
networks on mobile phones
 Mobility of the connection
 Mobility gives access to new services and possibilities e.g. geolocation and new types
of consuming, sharing and communicating
 Fun and entertainment
 e.g. games, movies and music contribute for a better use of “dead time”.
 Work
 Using mobile internet for work related matters is associated to senior users and young
adults
 Filling “dead time”
 Internet users are increasingly spending more time surfing on the internet, turning
‘dead time’ into useful time; on these periods of time, people are more likely to be
available to try new services and analyze new products. “Dead time” is becoming
“Mobile Economic Time”
Motivations and Drivers to Adoption
Results – Qualitative study

13. SAMPLE:
N= 1107
Age= ]14; 64[ ; (X=38,69; SD=13,93)
Genre= 49% male , 51% female
Results: Quantitative study
Socio-economic levelEducation
7.1
42.7
38
1.4
9
1.4
0.3
0 10 20 30 40 50
Less then primary education
Primary Education
High School
Bachelor
Degree
Master
PhD
0.9
4.4
42.6
29.6
22.4
0 10 20 30 40 50
High
Medium-High
Medium
Medium-low
Low

14. Q1.1. Do you have a mobile phone?
97% of respondents anwered affirnativelly
Q.1.2. Is your mobile phone a smartphone? Q.1.3. Do you use mobile internet?
77.5
19.1
0 20 40 60 80 100
Não
SimYes
No
14.5
1.5
3.3
1.4
2.1
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Telemóvel
Tablet
iPodTouch
iPad
Psp
84,3% do not use (n=933) – 2011
43,5% do not use = 2013
Results: Quantitative study
Mobile
Phone

15. Q.1.7. In what time of day is more
common for you to use mobile internet?
(similar 2011/2013)
2.9
3.4
21.3
43.1
33.9
41.4
10.3
0 10 20 30 40 50
0h-4h
4h-8h
8h-12h
12h-16h
16h-20h
20h-24h
Ns/Nr
Q.3.1. Why don’t you use mobile internet?
(similar 2011/2013)
Results: Quantitative study
33.3
10.2
50.8
12.6
1.2
1.6
1.1
1.5
3.1
2.5
0.5
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Very expensive
Very complex
Don't feel the need
mobile phone doesn't allow it
Don't have time
Don't like
Don't have interest
Uses other ways of access
Don't know how to do it
Other reasons
Don't know/answer

16. Online Activities
Mobile Internet
Vs
Fixed Internet
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Setle a doubt x net fixa
Setle a doubt x net móvel
See who's online x net fixa
See who's online x net móvel
Profissional searches x net fixa
Profissional searches x net móvel
Music download x net fixa
Music download x net móvel
Watch videos x net fixa
Watch videos x net móvel
Consult wearther info x net fixa
Consult wearther info x net móvel
Read e-mails x net fixa
Read e-mails x net móvel
SNS x net fixa
SNS x net fixa
Info about paths, roads x net fixa
Info about paths, roads x net móvel
Read news x net fixa
Read news x net móvel
Chats x net fixa
Chats x net móvel
Play online x net fixa
Play online x net móvel
Online services x net fixa
Online services x net móvel
Surf the web x net fixa
Surf the web x net móvel
Messenger x net fixa
Messenger x net móvel
Geolocalization x net fixa
Geolocalization x net móvel
(similar 2011/2013)

17. 4.54
4.92
4.42
4.42
4.46
4.27
4.19
Read e-mails
social networking
info about maps, paths, roads
online services
messenger
chats
geo-location apps
Activities carried out mainly via mobile internet
Results: Quantitative study

18. - Analyse proximity (similarity/dissimilarity) between activities
- Examine groups or types of activities more frequently performed via mobile
Multidimentional scaling analysis
-E-mail
-SNS
-Surfing web
-Geo-location
-Online services
-Info about maps
-Chats
Higher values on mobile
access
-Download music,
-Settle doubt
-Looking who’s online
-Work/prof searches
-Watch videos
Higher values on fixed
access
-Communication
-Participation
-On the go activities
-Take more time
-Higher levels of attention
Results: Quantitative study

19. - users’ present a perspective more concerned
with the activities they perform online, arguing
that the differences in the nature of the social
interaction and activities are relevant key
adoption drivers.
- Users seek to disrupt traditional access
models that the industry is replicating for
mobile internet access.
- According to stakeholders, m-internet is
growing and its adoption is increasing due
to the advantages users can achieved for
accessing it. Stakeholders seem more
concerned with technological determinants
and forms of access as key drivers to
promote m-internet adoption.
- To some extent, stakeholders fail to
internalize the impact that social
interactions and social capital generation
have in the adoption process.
Results: Quantitative study
Individual level (users’ view) Macro level (industry’s view)
M-internet is becoming the dominant mode to access interne.

20. 2nd Stage

21. Method
Development of a
mobile community
application prototype
Survey on
relationships
and social
capital
Testing of the
prototype
Focus groups on user
experience
Survey on
relationships
and social
capital (SNA)
Present Stage
Quantitative
Methods
Quantitative
Methods
Qualitative
Methods
User centred design

22. Mobile Community App Prototype

23. Methods Previous research shows that in EI few
bridge the community

25. Discussion
- Technological mediated social interactions are
reinforced by mobility;
- M-internet reinforces non face-to-face social
interactions;
- Social interactions are perceived by users as
relevant but it is the indirect network effects that
sustain adoption;
- Greater levels of social interaction can promote
greater levels of bonding social capital.
- M-internet will not directly contribute both to
bridging and linking social capital.

26. Thank you!
ComuniMedia Project
CICANT | ULHT
Funded by the Portuguese Science Foundation [FCT]