Questions for “The Future Hold for the Mobile Industry”

- All answers by: James Wrona

1) How does the mobile phone in today’s communication market illustrate digital convergence?

- The mobile phone in today's communication market is the epitome of digital convergence even more so now than it was when it first came out and that is saying something. The mobile phone is where all the different mediums come together right in the palm of your hand. Whether it be email, television, the Internet, or any other popular medium, you can guarantee that there is a way that your mobile phone can access and serve those functions. It also encourages interactivity between phone users by sharing phone numbers, BBMs or any other form of sharing. The mobile phone is the very definition of digital convergence.

2) Why is mobility the future of digital communication? Please use the two media technology theories in the article “The Song of the Alphabet in Cyberspace” to explain the mobility.

- The two media technology theories in the article "The Song of the Alphabet in Cyberspace" are that technology is made to be an extension of ourselves and that technology is meant to bring us back to a natural, acoustic world. With those in mind, mobility is the future of digital communication because our mobile devices have, truly, become an extension of ourselves. It's gotten to the point where you experience a feeling of a minor panic attack if you pat your pocket and you don't feel your phone. We have become undoubtedly dependent on our mobile devices. It is our main form of communication at this point. You can take out your phone and communicate through: texting, email, phone calls, and so much more. Mobility is undeniably the future of digital communication.

3) How does the possible integration of the mobile technology with the biological sensors create new opportunities for digital media communication in the future according to the digital media experts in the article? What are the possible ethical concerns?

- Although I mentioned before that the mobile technology is starting to become an extension of us, with the possible integration of the biological sensors, the technology would become us. Digital media experts in the article argue that this is the ultimate future of mobile media because it does away with the hassle of having to remember your phone everyday because you would be your phone. The possible ethical concerns regarding this integration would definitely be that it essentially takes away our humanity. We would become one with machines or robots, if you will. It's kind of scary to think of a world where we become machinery. Would we become immortal as well? Would we need to be charged like our phones do? What does this mean for our humanity? Those are a few of the possible ethical concerns that could be raised regarding the possible integration of mobile technology with biological sensors.

4) Why are sociability and connectivity the important key for the future of mobile media?

- Sociability and connectivity are, without a doubt, important keys for the future of mobile media and they go hand in hand. Sociability is the whole purpose of mobile media. You take our your phone to be social whether that means going on Facebook, Twitter, texting, emailing, or calling your friends. However, in order to be sociable, you have to have tools to do so and that is where connectivity comes in. That's where you share your phone number with others, go on Facebook and look at your friends, or go on Twitter and see the people you are following and what they are talking about. These two concepts are monumental for the future of mobile media and they are beginning to get integrated more and more. A classic example of this is the new Facebook Home phone that is literally a phone centered around the social experience, particularly Facebook. Mobile media is all about sociability and connectivity and that is why they are the key to a successful future for mobile media.