New Media Technologies and the Transition to Personal Public Spheres: Exploring the Circuit of Mobile Device Use Model

Rooted in the foundational idea that new media entities or mobile devices like the Apple iPod, alongside Smartphones are omnipresent in modern society, this exploration attempts to situate these devices and uncover their place (or lack thereof) in our public sphere. Through a series of qualitative interviews with Toronto mobile device users between the age of 18 and 34, this study uncovers a variety of explorations through the integration of the Circuit of Mobile Device Use Model. It examines the ways in which mobile device operators use their technologies; the primary places of use; how these technologies have negotiated place -- primarily public spaces; and the dependability on the devices.