| Media Week |
| Sunday, 29 August 2004 | |
|
One of the core insights of this book is the paradox of
mobile phones as media. Because of their focus on immediate and
ubiquitous communication, mobile phones are the opposite of media.
Whereas media “mediates” communication between two parties, mobile phones allow for “immediate” communication anytime and anywhere, meaning communication that is least mediated. Paul Levinson expands on the use of mobile phones in lessdeveloped countries and is very bullish on their potential to bridge the digital divide. Mobile phone infastructure is much cheaper to put in place than any other type of communication infrastructure and handsets are certainly cheaper than PCs. Moreover, he observes that one of the reasons for their popularity is that they offer a form of communication that does not require reading or written skills. The book also provides an analysis of mobile phones as an instrument of war – how mobile phones have been used to pinpoint targets during the recent Iraq invasion. While Cellphoneis primarily US-centric, it provides readers with a thought-provoking analysis. Not a masterpiece, but certainly worth a read. Review by Pamir Gelenbe, director of Flytxt © Copyright Flytxt Ltd 2006. Unauthorized use of any content constitutes a material breach. |
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