Mobile Connexions and Material Culture
Across the world, complex ecosystems of mobile internet tools have evolved in conjunction with cultural and socioeconomic activities. Through mobile internet, people in Nigeria can engage in banking, business, education, entertainment, spirituality, and more. Yet, significant disparities exist in mobile internet use across urban and rural demographics. This project explores how Nigerians interact with mobile internet in daily activities using a gamified interface built on Twine. It considers the material consequences of mobile internet and emphasizes use-centered design approaches that promote inclusivity for vulnerable persons. By studying the connections between mobile internet use and contemporary material culture, this project seeks to understand how modern people and societies are shaped by and shape communications technology.
Facilitator Bio
Nnamdi Nnake is a Ph.D. candidate researching the history of communications technology in Africa and its intersections with material culture and political economy. Through the Sherman Residency, he is investigating mobile internet use amongst vulnerable populations and is part of another interdisciplinary study researching how communications technology can aid mobility amongst the aging. Nnamdi received a 2022-23 James Robertson Carruthers Memorial Award and is a recipient of the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship for 2023.