The Swarm: Facilitating Control and Fluidity in Young People’s Use of Mobile Phones

Abstract

This paper is a work in progress. It presents the findings to date of a study into the day-to-day activities and cultural behaviors that underpin young people’s use of mobile phones. Four main themes emerged from the study: they are the role that technology plays in the construction of identity, emerging archetypes of users, ‘fluidity’ as an ideal for the use of mobile technology in the spontaneous formation of social networks and finally, ‘control’ as an ideal in the use of mobile technology to maintain the boundaries of virtual space. The study indicates ways in which fluidity and control could be more easily achieved for the young user. This is communicated through the Swarm scenario which is a hybrid of narrative and prototyping. This use of a scenario tells a story that provides insights into the culture of a specific user group that can contribute to the early phases of the design process.