Can we get around rural isolation? Adolescents and mobile telephones in rural areas: a case study in Galicia

In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7 (2013), 2586-2608 1932–8036/20130005 Copy igh © 2013 (Ca los Fe ás, Yolanda Ga cía, Ma iña Pose). Licensed unde he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion Non-comme cial No De i a i es (by-nc-nd). A ailable a h p://ijoc.o g. Can We Ge A ound Ru al Isola ion? Adolescen s and Mobile Telephones in Ru al A eas: A Case S udy o Galicia CARLOS FERRÁS 1 YOLANDA GARCÍA MARIÑA POSE Uni e si y o San iago de Compos ela This a icle p esen s he indings o esea ch examining a g oup o seconda y school s uden s om an ag icul u al dis ic in u al Galicia, Spain. Resea ch me hods used include quan i a i e and quali a i e echniques such as pa icipan obse a ion. The au ho s analyze o wha deg ee and o wha pu pose u al adolescen s communica e ia mobile elephones and i gende accoun s o any signi ican di e ences in his usage. Ou indings show ha u al adolescen s a e indeed a id use s o mobile elephones and sugges ha because o his hey a e ge ing a ound he physical inaccessibili y and inhe en isola ion o u al communi ies. Keywo ds: mobile elephone, ex message, adolescen s, digi al di ide, u al isola ion In oduc ion In Spain, 53% o households we e connec ed o he In e ne in 2011, a a e below he EU a e age o 56%. Acco ding o Méndez and Rod íguez (2011), in Spain he e a e s ill la ge di e ences be ween u al and u ban egions in he use o communica ion echnologies. This was pa icula ly ue in Galicia, a his o ical egion wi h s ong u al adi ions loca ed in he no hwes o he Ibe ian Peninsula, in which only 40% o amilies we e connec ed o he In e ne . Acco ding o he Ins i u o Nacional de Es adís ica (INE) o he Spanish Go e nmen o 2011, mobile elephone usage is s ongly es ablished he e, wi h an a e age o 1.1 mobile elephones pe capi a. In Spain, access o he In e ne ia mobile elephones is widesp ead, and i is hi d in Eu opean usage a es a e No way and Sweden (O ange Founda ion, 2012). Howe e , in Spain, access o high-speed ne wo ks h ough mobile elephone is no possible in u al a eas loca ed away om he main communica ions ne wo ks ha un nea mo o ways 1 This a icle is based on esea ch inanced by he Depa men o Inno a ion o he Spanish go e nmen (CSO2009-10894). Ca los Fe ás: ca los. e [email protected] Yolanda Ga cía: yolanda.ga cia. [email protected] Ma iña Pose: ma [email protected] Da e submi ed: 2011–10–17 In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7 (2013) Can We Ge A ound Ru al Isola ion? 2587 and ailway lines. In he case o Galicia, INE da a o 2011 show lowe a es o mobile In e ne access and lowe a es o household In e ne access han he na ional a e age. In his con ex , we ask how Galician u al eenage s use mobile elephones o o e come hei geog aphical isola ion and wha gende di e ences may exis in his ega d. The isola ion o u al communi ies has been a ecu ing opic (Copus, 2001). Ru al adolescen s ha e ne e had he same eady access o means o communica ions as ha e hei u ban coun e pa s because he a i al and sp ead o inno a ions and echnology o u al a eas has always lagged behind ci ies (Cai nc oss, 1997; Wa , 2012). Likewise, because o he physical dis ances and low popula ion densi ies in ol ed, ace- o- ace communica ion has also been limi ed. Ru al isola ion plays a la ge ole in explaining why social ela ionships and communica ion ha e always been di e en in u al and u ban a eas (Cai nc oss, 1997; Kalan a idis, 2006). Bu now we a e cu en ly wi nessing a new p ocess in which u al adolescen s pa icipa e subs an ially in mobile communica ions, and i is possible ha u u e u al economic de elopmen migh be shaped less by low a es o accessibili y and isola ion (F iedman, 2006). Con en ional landline elephones we e slow o a i e in Galician owns and illages, bu ou indings show ha mobile elephone usage is sp eading quickly and wi h i comes a g ea e possibili y o o e coming he geog aphical and social isola ion and inaccessibili y inhe en in u al a eas. In a s udy o Spanish uni e si y s uden s by Go do López (2006), he In e ne is seen as a channel o pa icipa ion and exp ession, a cul u e o easy and ins an aneous communica ion eadily accessible o young adul s and adolescen s. In his s udy, we obse e ha mobile elephones and ex messages also cons i u e i al elemen s in he socializa ion p ocess o seconda y school s uden s in u al Galicia. In e es ing ques ions a ise as o he ex en his echnology con ibu es o b idging he digi al di ide be ween u al and u ban communi ies, how and o wha pu pose i is used, and i s ela ionship o con en ional o -line means o communica ion. This a icle p esen s he indings o esea ch ca ied ou on a g oup o seconda y school s uden s om he dis ic o San a Comba, an ag icul u al egion ound in he in e io o A Co uña, Galicia. The ieldwo k was conduc ed du ing wo weeks in Ma ch 2011. Ou objec i e was o examine mobile elephone usage among u al adolescen s and de e mine i and o wha ex en gende accoun ed o any signi ican di e ences in usage, pa icula ly in ex messaging. Ou esea ch me hods include quan i a i e and quali a i e echniques as well as pa icipan obse a ion in g oup wo k sessions held in he s uden s’ school. Ou indings show ha mobile communica ions echnology is ully deployed in his u al communi y. How Do Today’s Adolescen s Communica e? Mobile elephone echnology is he mos widesp ead echnology used by adolescen s oday and he one wi h he g ea es unc ional impac (Ma ínez, Miguel, & To ajada, 2009). In a gende compa ison, 73% o adolescen Spanish gi ls ha e a mobile elephone compa ed o 64% o adolescen 2588 Ca los Fe ás, Yolanda Ga cía, Ma iña Pose In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7(2013) boys. 2 Mobile elephones ha e been he ocus o bo h quan i a i e and quali a i e s udies on he use o echnology by adolescen s and he implica ions his has on he shaping o gende iden i y. In his s udy, we analyze he in luence o mobile elephones on he shaping o gende iden i y among adolescen s in a u al communi y and gende di e ences in he linguis ic unc ions ha ex messages se e o boys and gi ls. The li e a u e on in o ma ion and communica ions echnology (ICT) poin s o a pe sis en digi al di ide in e ms o gende (Cas año, 2008; Ka z, 2003; Ochai a, Espinosa, & Gu ié ez, 2011; Wajcman, 2006). Mobile elephones possess a special se o a ibu es ha make hem pa icula ly appealing o emales, especially adolescen s (Ling, 2008). Ling (2004) and Chen and Ka z (2009) alk abou he mobile elephone and i s pe sonal na u e as an ex ension o social li e, i s ole in he o ma ion o iden i y, i s in luence in eshaping he empo al and spa ial hy hms o social in e ac ions, and i s powe ul abili y o se e as a socializing agen and acili a o o amilial and social ies. In addi ion, he e a e impo an ac o s ela ed o in imacy, p i acy, and sa e y (Cas ells, Fe nández-A de ol, Qiu, & Sey, 2007; Chen & Ka z, 2009; Inkinen, 2008; Ka z, 2003; Ka z, 2006; Ling, 2008; Ma ínez e al., 2009; Pe ie a, 2006). The e a e also aspec s ha adolescen s ind appealing, including mobile elephone’s accessibili y, ex messaging, mul i unc ionali y (i.e., nume ous applica ions ha can be downloaded), and en e ainmen possibili ies (Ka z, 2003; Ling, 2004). One mus also add ha pa en s, likewise, con ibu e o usage as hey use mobile elephones as a way o keeping abs on hei child en. Acco ding o a s udy by he Ins i u o Nacional de Tecnologías de la Comunicación (INTECO) and O ange Founda ion (2010), 88% o Spanish pa en s a e eassu ed knowing hey can con ac hei child en on hei mobile elephone. Bu su p isingly, child en do no eel hey ha e any less eedom o p i acy in hei pe sonal ela ionships jus because hei pa en s can eadily con ac hem. In ac , 69.6% o adolescen s hink ha ha ing a mobile elephone g an s hem mo e, no less, au onomy. Adolescen s on he oad o adul hood a e ypically in ol ed in a complex and o en con using p ocess o iden i y o ma ion; hey hus place a g ea e social impo ance on iends han hey do on amily (Na al & Sádaba, 2005). In his sense, mobile elephones a e a way o communica e wi h hei social ne wo k o pee s, ee om pa en al con ol (Ling, 2002). A he same ime, o he s udies wa n agains he po en ial ha m ul e ec s o excessi e use o mobile elephones by adolescen s, 3 who a e gene ally mo e p one o engage in addic i e beha io wi h ICTs because hey a e highly sensi i e o hei social en i onmen and because his echnology is so p esen in hei li es. Howe e , adolescen addic ion o mobile elephones is cu en ly unsubs an ia ed. 2 . See Ins i u o Nacional de Tecnologías de la Comunicación (INTECO) and O ange Founda ion (2010), Es udios sob e segu idad y p i acidad en el uso de los se icios mó iles po los meno es españoles [S udies on secu i y and p i acy in he use o mobile se ices by Spanish mino s] and Es udio sob e el uso de los sma phones en los meno es [S udy on he use o sma phones in he mino s]. Re ie ed om h p://www.in eco.es/Es udios/Es udio_mo iles_meno es and h p://www.in eco.es/Es udios/Es udio_sma phones_meno es 3 . Fo example, see G ane , Be anuy, Sánchez, and Cas ellana (2007), Qué uso hacen los jó enes y adolescen es de in e ne y del mó il? [How you h and adolescen s use he In e ne and mobile pHone?]. In Luís Ál a ez Pousa, Joám E ans Pim, Ósca C espo A igbay (Eds.), Comunicación e xu en ude: Ac as do Fo o In e nacional (pp. 71–90). León, Spain: A co Lib os. In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7 (2013) Can We Ge A ound Ru al Isola ion? 2589 Wha indings do show is ha he majo i y o adolescen s and young adul s gene ally exhibi easonable use o mobile elephones and he In e ne , wi h only occasional p oblems. Howe e , misuse o hese echnologies can ha e nega i e consequences o amily ela ionships and academic pe o mance. Along wi h hei socializa ion aspec ― he possibili y o main aining immedia e con ac wi h one’s social ne wo ks―mobile elephones ha e also mean a so o libe a ion o adolescen s om hei pa en s. Mo eo e , ha ing a mobile elephone is a way o adolescen s o de ine hei iden i y: No only can hey cus omize hei mobile elephone’s nume ous unc ional ea u es in so many ways, bu hey can also c ea e hei own codes o communica ion (Ling, 2002, 2004, 2008). Du ing adolescence, communica ion wi h one’s pee s is undamen al, so much so ha he ole models once played by pa en s a e played by pee s, who now make up an adolescen ’s main poin o e e ence (Malo, Casas, Figue , & González, 2006). Social ela ionships wi h pee s a e gene ally mo e impo an o gi ls han o boys. Fo Ling (2002), his ac is associa ed wi h a ype o p esocializa ion, which gi ls unde go du ing adolescence o he subsequen oles hey will adop as adul women. These oles a e ela ed o he con ibu ion women make o main aining social and amily ela ionships. As Ma ínez e al. (2009) con i m, in many cases mobile elephones a e no used o ac ual con e sa ion bu a he as a way o sea ch o emo ional in ol emen o o ac as a kind o i ual cop esence. In o he wo ds, one seeks ecogni ion as belonging o he g oup, con i ma ion o a long-dis ance social ela ionship, being pa o he ecei e ’s li e, in sho , jus “being he e.” This is especially impo an o he u al adolescen s in ou s udy who, because o geog aphical dis ances and low popula ion densi y, equen ly canno physically be cop esen wi h hei pee s. Many linguis s ha e ound i mo e appealing o deal wi h communica ion han wi h language and o conce n hemsel es wi h all hose aspec s, codes, and phenomena ha in e ene in he communica i e p ocess. Fo his eason, p agma ics has gained ollowe s among language schola s: The communica i e si ua ion su ounding he speake s― hei sha ed unde s anding o he wo ld, deduc ions, in e ences, and implica ions―also o ms pa o he message and gi es meaning o i s p oduc ion. We can deciphe he meaning o an isola ed u e ance i we unde s and he code in which i was p oduced. Bu we a e only able o unde s and i s ue meaning i we know he con ex and si ua ion in which i was p oduced; wha pu pose i se es in in e ac ions; and who used i and unde wha social, pe sonal, and cul u al ci cums ances. The o mal simpli ica ion o which w i en language has been subjec ed in new channels o echnological communica ion is a consequence o he po en ial ha ex alinguis ic ac o s ha e in he cons uc ion o sense. A syn he ic w i en language, seldom subjec ed o adi ional con en ions, can s ill be e ec i e: I keeps he communica i e si ua ion in mind and is en iched by isual codes. In his way, i e lec s and, in u n, shapes how new gene a ions pe cei e and s uc u e he wo ld. Me hodology and Field Wo k Ou case s udy was conduc ed in a seconda y school in San a Comba, a u al ag icul u al dis ic in Galicia loca ed 35 kilome e s om San iago de Compos ela (Figu e 1). F om a socioeconomic pe spec i e, he egion o San a Comba exhibi s he classic u al pa e n o low demog aphic densi y. I has a popula ion o 10,500 inhabi an s dis ibu ed h oughou dozens o a ms and illages. O e he las ou decades, i has unde gone p onounced u al ligh and has expe ienced demog aphic con ac ion. 2590 Ca los Fe ás, Yolanda Ga cía, Ma iña Pose In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7(2013) None heless, San a Comba boas s highly e ile land o ca le anching and specializes in dai y ca le and milk p oduc ion. This en i onmen has led o highe - han-a e age pe capi a income han o he Galician dis ic s and an equal o e en highe income han some Galician ci ies (Ins i u o Galego de Es a is ica, 2008). We ca ied ou ou esea ch in a public seconda y school called Te a do Xallas. Ou s udy was only possible hanks o he coope a ion o he adminis a i e and eaching s a along wi h ha o he adolescen pa icipan s hemsel es, whose ages anged om 12 o 15. Gi en ha all he pa icipan s we e mino s, we ob ained hei pa en s’ consen ( h ough he school’s adminis a ion) p io o ini ia ing ou esea ch. Pa icipan obse a ion and da a collec ion ook place in he class oom du ing ou in ense wo k sessions wi h wo ocus g oups. Ou quali a i e esea ch me hod was based on pa icipan obse a ion echniques, wi h close indi idual and g oup in e ac ion among esea che s and s uden s alike. Communica ing wi h young adolescen s is no easy ask o adul s ou side hei social ci cle. In ligh o his, we se ou o es ablish an in o mal and hough p o oking wo king ela ionship. We communica ed he de ails and objec i es o ou esea ch openly and clea ly, hus c ea ing an a mosphe e o mu ual us . Resea ch and da a collec ion ook place in wo consecu i e and complemen a y phases. We di ided he pa icipan s in o wo ocus g oups: olde adolescen s (aged 14 o 15) wi h g ea e expe ience using mobile elephones bu who we e mo e app ehensi e abou publicly showing hei ex messages and younge adolescen s (unde age 14) wi h less expe ience using mobile elephones bu who we e mo e willing o sha e hei ex messages. In he i s phase o da a collec ion, we o med a ocus g oup o ga he he opinions o 19 10 h- g ade s uden s (7 boys and 12 gi ls), all be ween he ages o 14 and 15. The opics discussed included owne ship o digi al echnologies, abili y and expe ience using digi al echnologies, pa e ns o in e ac ion and communica ion, exp essions o iden i y, in asions o p i acy, physical and emo ional sa e y, and addic i e beha io . Du ing he discussion, we sys ema ically in oduced in o ma ion abou he opics o be discussed. F om he e, s uden s ga e hei opinions on, and subjec i e e alua ion o , ha in o ma ion. These opinions and e alua ions hen se ed o ini ia e g oup dialogues and discussions. So as no o in luence he pa icipan s’ opinions, we s ic ly limi ed ou pa icipa ion in hese discussions o obse a ion. Howe e , i is possible ha ou me e p esence as esea che s migh ha e a ec ed he esul s. In he second phase, we collec ed, obse ed, and analyzed he mobile ex messages o 16 se en h-g ade s uden s: 8 boys and 8 gi ls aged 12 o 14. To do so, s uden s we e asked o comple e an open su ey in which hey ep oduced he ex messages hey had sen p io o comple ing he su ey and ha we e sa ed in he sen messages a ea on hei mobile elephones. The s uden s hemsel es chose which messages o include and ep oduced he ex exac ly as i had been sen . In addi ion, hey also ew o e he ex as i would appea in ull o m using o mal ules o w i ing. 4 We also collec ed da a 4 . All o iginal ex messages and hei ull- o m e sions a e ep oduced he ein exac ly as hey appea ed on he su eys wi hou linguis ic modi ica ion o any kind. The s uden s’ ull- o m e sions demons a e In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7 (2013) Can We Ge A ound Ru al Isola ion? 2591 ega ding hei age (all we e bo n be ween 1996 and 1997), sex, language o choice, and app oxima e ime hey spend sending ex messages daily. Despi e he selec ion p ocess explained in he me hodology, we we e able o analyze all he SMS gene a ed by all su eyed in a ai ly b ie pe iod o ime. The ieldwo k was conduc ed du ing wo weeks in Ma ch o 2011. Ini ially, 15 gi ls and 12 boys ag eed o pa icipa e. Whe eas he in e es o he gi ls held s eady h oughou he s udy, boys we e no as en husias ic. Fou o he male s uden s who ag eed o ake pa u ned in blank su eys. Al hough we do no know exac ly why, we can make he ollowing assump ions as o he ac o s ha migh ha e in e ened in hei decision:  They had ew o no messages o sha e because hey had o “clean hem up” since hei pa en s check hei mobile elephones (as he s uden s hemsel es o en allege). In any case, bo h he pa icipan s and hei pa en s o legal gua dians we e ully awa e o his pa o he s udy p io o pa icipa ing in i .  They migh ha e doub ed he au onomous na u e o he su ey, ea ing ha hei eache s would ecognize hei handw i ing.  Masculine language used in ex s may be c ude, and hey migh no wan anyone ou side o hei social ci cle o see i .  The conside able in e es ha his ac i i y gene a ed among emale s uden s migh ha e caused a so o dis us among hei male pee s. One mus wonde i boys conside ex ing “gi ly” compa ed o o he o ms o communica ion, which would explain hei ese a ions abou he su ey. I his is indeed ue, in a u al en i onmen like he one in his s udy, male sensi i i y o gende ed oles is pe haps e en g ea e han ha o emales when he boys hide hei p oblems o isola ion. In he case o some male s uden s, ou knowledge o hei social and pe sonal ci cums ances leads us o assume ha ei he hey do no ha e a mobile elephone o hey lack a social ne wo k o iends wi h whom o exchange messages. Consequen ly, so as no o call a en ion o ei he si ua ion—especially in on o hei classma es— hey p e ended o pa icipa e bu u ned in blank ques ionnai es.  Finally, boys and gi ls migh ex o di e en easons; ha is, he unc ion ex messaging se es is gende speci ic. Boys and gi ls migh choose he ype o ICT ha bes esponds o hei needs and communica i e in en ions, and hese choices migh di e be ween gende s. Wha pu poses ex messaging se es o boys and gi ls is p ecisely he unknown a iable in ou s udy. Compa ed o he a e age numbe o messages sen by gi ls (17), he a e age sen by boys (9) is conside ably lowe , and hei messages a e s ikingly mo e b ie as well. Consequen ly, ou inal da a se consis ed o 210 ex messages: 136 om gi ls and 74 om boys. ha hey s ill ha e no in e nalized he o mal ules o w i ing o , a leas , ha hey ha e no aken hem e y se iously (especially i hey a e no going o be es ed o i ). 2592 Ca los Fe ás, Yolanda Ga cía, Ma iña Pose In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7(2013) Figu e 1. Loca ion o he s udy a ea in Galicia, Spain. Sou ce o map: Fe ás and O’Flanagan (2012). Adolescen s Con inually Connec ed The indings o his s udy show ha adolescen s make use o a wide a ie y o mobile elephone unc ions. These include making oice calls, aking and downloading pho os, lis ening o music, exchanging iles, and playing games. Fo he majo i y o adolescen s, mobile elephones ep esen an ex ension o hei social li e, a o m o making hei p esence known and o displaying hei pe sonali y o hei pee s. This exp ession o iden i y occu s bo h h ough he usage o he elephone as well as h ough he physical elephone i sel , which can be cus omized wi h acepla es, ing ones, icons, and wallpape s. Fo mos adolescen s, mobile elephones ha e become an e e yday objec ully in eg a ed in o hei li es. All o he adolescen s who pa icipa ed in he ocus g oups ha e hei own mobile elephone. They do admi , hough, ha in some places―such as a school― hey knowingly un he isk o ha ing he elephone aken away. The ollowing ype o commen was hea d equen ly among he pa icipan s: “A In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7 (2013) Can We Ge A ound Ru al Isola ion? 2593 school we can’ ha e mobiles. Ei he you hide hem eally well o hey ge aken away om you. Bu e e yone akes one anyway.” We obse ed ha o all he unc ions ha mobile elephones o e , he one used mos is ex messaging. Howe e , his has mo e o do wi h an economic decision han wi h a pe sonal choice. The majo i y o he s uden s su eyed, especially boys, p e e calling hei iends a he han making he e o o compose a ex message. The ollowing ypes o commen s we e equen ly hea d in he ocus g oup discussions:  Gi l: “We send mo e messages, lo s mo e, all o hem.”  Boy: “I like calling be e han ex ing, bu I ha e o do i [ ex ] because i ’s cheape .”  Boy: “I ex because i ’s ee wi h my calling plan, bu I call oo. I p e e o call, and since I ha e a con ac I always call.”  Gi l: “Tha ’s because ou pa en s pay o he In e ne and we ha e o pay o ou phones. I my mobile was ee, I would use i mo e.”  Boy: “I also p e e o call. I’m eally lazy; i akes me o e e o ype a message.”  Gi l: “I’m no lazy abou sending ex s, bu i depends on who you’ e alking o. The e a e some people you don’ wan o alk o, so you send hem a ex .” Wha is s iking in many cases is ha mobile elephones a e no used o alk, pe se, bu a he o se up an al e na i e con ac 5 using ano he echnological de ice (on he In e ne o a landline phone). He e, i is he con ex ha gi es meaning o he in e ac ion:  Gi l: “I ha dly alk on Tuen i 6 . . . you’ e ne e connec ed a he same ime unless you say ha you’ll call and hang up so hey know o connec , and basically when I wan o se up a ime o alk wi h people, I do his: I say, ‘Gi e me a missed call [on my mobile] and we can alk on Tuen i.’ I ’s easie . I ’s like we use ou mobile o no i y each o he abou some hing, bu we alk on he In e ne . Mobiles a e o when you don’ ha e In e ne igh hen.” We obse ed ha gi ls alued in imacy and p i acy in hei communica ions mo e han boys did and ha mobile elephones o med an impo an pa o his p i a e sphe e. As one gi l explains, 5 See Simón, A. (2008). Tuen i, la compe encia de Facebook hecha en España [Tuen i, acebook compe i ion made in Spain]. In Cinco Días. Re ie ed om h p://cincodias.com/cincodias/2008/04/11/emp esas/1207921214_850215.h ml 2594 Ca los Fe ás, Yolanda Ga cía, Ma iña Pose In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7(2013) You can’ use he In e ne o ac ually alk; you always ha e o ype. And i , le ’s say, you’ e alking o someone and a e a aid ha someone else migh see you o some hing like ha , i ’s be e o alk on he phone. Fo he majo i y o he pa icipan s, mobile elephones a e indispensable o communica e wi h hei pee s, no because hey can ac ually say hings bu because hey can main ain con ac wi h each o he . Mobile echnology is hus seen as an ex ension o hei body; i is ne e swi ched o and goes whe e e hey do. They need o be con inually connec ed:  Boy: “You ake you mobile ou o you pocke , and ha ’s i . You always ha e i wi h you, and you don’ ha e o be w i ing when you don’ ha e ime.”  Gi l: “You ake you mobile e e ywhe e. You jus g ab i and go.” In his sense, using a mobile elephone has mo e o do wi h being connec ed han wi h he message i sel . This gi es mobile communica ion a pha ic-appella i e unc ion: he calle appeals o he ecei e o make his/he p esence known while he calle is simul aneously making his/he own p esence known. Obse e he ollowing commen s:  Boy: “Bu i ’s like lo s o imes, okay, you can hink abou wha you’ e going o say, bu you alk jus o be alking; you say silly hings jus because i ’s ee and you wan o use up he messages you’ e go le [ e e ing o he ee message o e s by mobile phone companies], and so you w i e ‘Hey! Wha ’s up?’ and you send i o di e en numbe s.”  Boy: “I depends. Some imes you call someone and you ha e o alk he whole ime because he e a e some eally bo ing people ou he e. You gi e hem you li e s o y, and hey don’ ell you a single hing. You can call and hen no say any hing. I’d a he alk on he phone han send a ex . . . bu alk abou some hing. The e a e also hings ha you’ e emba assed o alk abou on he phone and you end up sending a ex . Besides, my pa en s don’ e en know how o ead ex s.” We also obse ed ha only on a e occasion do mobile elephones cons i u e an in asion o p i acy. In ac , i is p ecisely because hei pa en s can each hem a any ime on hei mobile elephones ha adolescen s eel hey ac ually ha e mo e eedom o mo emen and independence.  Gi l: “Since I ha e my mobile, I eel mo e independen .”  Gi l: “I don’ eel like my pa en s con ol me mo e. They don’ call me so much, and besides, i I wan o a i e a li le la e, I call hem, and ha ’s i . I ’s be e .”  Boy: “I ’s like, besides, say you wan o s ay ou a li le longe , you can le hem know a home, and e e y hing’s okay. I you don’ ha e you mobile, you ha e o go home.” In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7 (2013) Can We Ge A ound Ru al Isola ion? 2601 Table 1. Appella i e and Pha ic Func ions o Mobile Telephones. Appella i e Func ion Pha ic Func ion Why didn’ you go o school? Le me know. Hey wha ’s up. Le me know please I’m bo ed. Come a 17:15. can you? Wha ’s up? B ing he came a and don’ gi e any hing o olga in on o anybody. Wha a e you doing now Wha do “an onela” and “nemias” wan o do o me a he s o e [“nemias” is a nickname] Yeah, we’d be e s op I’m using up all my minu es. Ciaooo [belly laugh] A e you going o San iago? Please le me know hon kisses. Abb e ia e o c ying ou loud!! Hi when you come can you b ing me he came a co d please. Wha a e you doing? B ing me he ennis balls please hey’ e on he co ee able. Hi Lucia. [laugh e ] Wha ’s up hon did you see Mad i Ba sa [Mad id- Ba celona oo ball ma ch] Hi beau i ul! Can’ alk now. Wha ’s up did you see he ilm on Channel 3 Tell me some hing please. He e a e some o he messages coded as ha ing a e e en ial o exp essi e unc ion: Re e en ial unc ion Exp essi e unc ion They punished me and won’ le me go ou Hey swee ie! Tha ’s li e! No one wan ed you o go. The English ones a e on page 32 o he wo kbook So y i ’s jus ha I’m eally emba assed playing on he PlayS a ion I lo e you so much! Mo e han anyone in he wo ld. II. The Co ela ion Be ween he Func ion o he Message and Gende We co ela ed gende wi h he unc ions o he messages, which o m he independen and dependen a iables, espec i ely. To do so, we used VARBRUL compu e so wa e (Gold a b X o Windows). 10 The indings o how hese wo a iables in e ac wi h each o he a e highly signi ican : 10 . Gold a b X is a so wa e package ha is widely used o quan i a i e s udies on linguis ic a ia ion. I wo ks wi h he s a is ical model o mul iple eg essions. All he VARBRUL applica ions a e ee. The one used in his s udy can be downloaded along wi h i s use manual a 2602 Ca los Fe ás, Yolanda Ga cía, Ma iña Pose In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7(2013) VARBRUL, h ough mul iple eg ession analysis, eached con e gence in he i h i e a ion. An analysis o he c oss- abula ion ables (Table 2) shows ha 45.7% o he messages ha e an appella i e unc ion, 21.4% pha ic, 17.1% ep esen a i e, and 15.7% exp essi e. In e ms o gende , he mos signi ican di e ences occu wi h he appella i e, pha ic, and exp essi e unc ions: boys sen 65% o he appella i e messages, compa ed o 34.4% sen by gi ls. These pe cen ages a e e e sed o messages wi h a pha ic unc ion: 63.3% sen by gi ls, compa ed o 36.7% by boys. The exp essi e unc ion is much mo e equen among gi ls (77% compa ed o 23%), and he ep esen a i e unc ion is he same (50%) o bo h sexes. Mo e han 140 o 210 messages analyzed used an impe a i e o an in e oga i e; 70 we e om boys and 70 om gi ls. In addi ion, we iden i ied wo basic linguis ic esou ces used in ex messages o exp ess appella i e in en ions: he in e oga i e and he impe a i e (Table 3). O he 42 appella i e messages sen by boys, 32 con ained an in e oga i e and 10 an impe a i e unc ion. C oss abula ion o he a iables in e oga i e + impe a i e yielded only one occasion whe e he wo a iables occu oge he . These esul s indica e ha boys p e e he in e oga i e o e he impe a i e. Gi ls sen 22 messages wi h an appella i e unc ion, 21 o mula ed wi h an in e oga i e, and 9 wi h an impe a i e, he wo a iables occu ing in a leas 9 messages. These indings hus indica e ha he use o an in e oga i e plus an impe a i e o he appella i e unc ion is mo e equen among gi ls. 11 We co ela ed gende and he use o poli eness o mulas and hei ela ionship o he appella i e unc ion. The s a is ical analysis o his a iable did no yield signi ican esul s gi en he low numbe o occu ences o hese o mulas. I seems he e is li le oom o cou esy in adolescen s’ ex messages: only 11% con ained exp essions such as please, hanks, o a modal e b wi h an in ini i e (“can you ell me”). Gi ls sen 75% o hese messages. We likewise examined i he use o he oca i e was used o one down he appella i e o ce o he message and coded i s use by di e en ia ing be ween he absence o he oca i e and he p esence o a deno a i e o a ec i e oca i e. He e, he indings we e equally insigni ican since 80.5% o he 140 messages analyzed lack a oca i e o any kind. Only 26 con ained a oca i e, 19 o which we e a ec i e (“cu ie,” “hon,” “beau i ul,” “sexy,” “swee ie”) and 7 deno a i e ( he ecei e ’s name). The e a e also no no able gende di e ences in he use o he a ec i e oca i e (8 cases by boys and 11 by gi ls). Likewise, he p esence o he oca i e is no associa ed wi h he appella i e unc ion o he message gi en ha o he 19 messages ha con ained a ec i e oca i es, 10 we e pha ic, 5 appella i e, and 2 exp essi e. The 7 deno a i e oca i es ha appea ed in he sample belong o messages wi h di e se linguis ic unc ions. h p://indi idual.u o on o.ca/ agliamon e/gold a b.h m. A comple e desc ip ion o his applica ion and i s use in sociolinguis ic esea ch is ound in Mo eno Fe nández (1994). 11 . The use o a ques ion ma k is no always necessa y o iden i y his unc ion. Example: “Despois que es i comp a a a de conmigo”[La e do you wan o go shopping in he a e noon wi h me]. The modal e b “que e ” (wan ) in he second pe son singula is su icien o assign an appella i e-in e oga i e alue o he u e ance. In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7 (2013) Can We Ge A ound Ru al Isola ion? 2603 Table 2. Tex Messages by Gende and Linguis ic Func ion. Linguis ic Func ion Gi ls No. (% o N) Boys No. (% o N) All Subjec s N (% o N) Appella i e 22 (34.4) 42 (65.6) 64 (45.7) Exp essi e 17 (77.3) 5 (22.7) 22 (15.7) Pha ic 19 (63.3) 11 (36.7) 30 (21.4) Rep esen a i e 12 (50) 12 (50) 24 (17.1) Ns 70 70 140 VARBRUL ou pu : Con e gence a i e a ion 5; Inpu 0.503; G oup # 1— : 0.497, a: 0.341, : 0.630, e: 0.770; Log likelihood = −98.806. Table 3. Tex Messages by Gende , Linguis ic Func ion, and Linguis ic Resou ce Used. Numbe o Messages Using an Impe a i e _________________ Numbe o Messages Using an In e oga i e ____________________ Func ion by Gende No Used Used N No Used Used N Appella i e Gi ls Boys 13 32 9 10 22 42 1 10 21 32 22 42 Exp essi e Gi ls Boys 16 5 1 0 17 5 15 5 1 0 16 5 Pha ic Gi ls Boys 18 11 1 0 19 11 7 4 12 7 19 11 Rep esen a i e Gi ls Boys 12 12 0 0 12 12 12 12 0 0 12 12 N Gi ls Boys 59 60 11 10 70 70 35 31 35 39 70 70 2604 Ca los Fe ás, Yolanda Ga cía, Ma iña Pose In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7(2013) Conclusion Fo he u al adolescen s in ou sample, mobile elephones ha e become an in eg al pa o daily li e, which hey use p ima ily o exchange ex messages. They eel ha ha ing a mobile elephone gi es hem g ea e independence om hei pa en s and allows hem o become socially in eg a ed in hei pee g oups. Gi ls a e mo e dependen on hei mobile elephones han a e boys, and hey alue he in imacy his echnology allows hem o ha e in hei social ela ionships mo e as well. They also place g ea e alue on knowing hei ela i es can loca e hem a any ime and he sense o secu i y his gi es hem. Al hough bo h boys and gi ls exp essed eeling a ce ain amoun o anxie y i hey a e dep i ed o hei mobiles, gi ls expe ience his anxie y o a g ea e deg ee. When complex communica i e exchanges a e wha adolescen s seek, ex messages se e o se up a ime and place o mee o o edi ec in e ac ion o ano he channel o communica ion. Bu e en hough adolescen s p e e o he sys ems o communica ion (such as oice calls o In e ne cha ooms), hey a e mo e inclined o use mobile ex messaging because i is quick and a o dable. I is p ecisely hese wo ea u es ha adolescen s ake ad an age o o be pe manen ly connec ed o hei pee s. Wha is impo an o adolescen s is o es ablish a mu ual “being he e” wi h hei pee s, ha is, o e i y ha hei iends a e “ he e” while con i ming hei own p esence. This explains why hei ex messages ha e a p edominan ly appella i e, pha ic, o pha ic-appella i e unc ion: o solici in e ac ion o o open o main ain a communica i e exchange. As Ca men Galán (2004) a i ms, being in o med in hese new imes is no hing mo e han cons an ly being online, ha is, a ailable o and loca able by e e yone and o he mos i olous hings. . . We no longe ha e o “ ell hings,” we ha e “ o be loca able,” which is he same as saying iden i ied. (p. 1100) Ob aining da a om emale pa icipan s was much easie han om male pa icipan s; gi ls seem o be mo e inclined han boys o use mobile ex messaging, o a leas a e mo e willing o sha e hei expe ience. The easons o his di e ence a e unclea . One possibili y con empla ed and con i med in his s udy is ha boys and gi ls use ex messaging o di e en easons; he e o e, i is mo e in e es ing and e ec i e o one g oup han o he o he . Wha ou esul s e eal is ha gi ls ake pa icula ad an age o his o m o communica ion o exp essi e and pha ic unc ions. Wo king wi h a co pus o ex messages ins ead o wi h comple e sequences o dialogues g ea ly limi s ou unde s anding o he messages and hei in en ions. Only by ha ing he sequence o u n- akings ha comp ise he comple e communica i e exchange can we begin o unde s and hose messages whose in en ions a e ambiguous, 12 analyze he p esence o g ee ings and lea e- akings, de ec code- 11. E en so, in some cases we would mos likely ha e o ha e access o he communica i e si ua ion and he sha ed unde s anding o he wo ld be ween sende and ecei e , which a e highly complica ed o ob ain. In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7 (2013) Can We Ge A ound Ru al Isola ion? 2605 swi ching caused by ex e nal ac o s, and unde s and why punc ua ion has become supe luous in communica i e si ua ions ha ely on w i ing. I is in e es ing o obse e whe e he p io i ies o adolescen s ha e aken language i sel . The desi e o mone a y sa ings has led o linguis ic economy as well in he educ ion o cha ac e s. Thei ul ima e objec i e is o send a message whose in en ion is pe ec ly clea a he lowes mone a y and linguis ic cos possible. Pe haps we a e wi nessing he c ea ion o a new ype o ja gon linked o language economy in which he p agma ic ac o s ha su ound a communica i e ac a e inc easingly c ucial o he message o make sense. In sho , we can a gue ha adi ional u al isola ion can be o e come hanks o he mobile elephone. Ou case s udy in Galicia has demons a ed ha he u al adolescen s in ou sample ully emb ace his echnology in o de o be pe manen ly connec ed, hus ge ing a ound he physical and social isola ion inhe en in u al communi ies. In he ligh o all hese indings, and looking owa d he u u e, we a e le wi h in e es ing compa a i e esea ch on u ban adolescen s. 2606 Ca los Fe ás, Yolanda Ga cía, Ma iña Pose In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7(2013) Re e ences Cai nc oss, F. (1997). The dea h o dis ance. Camb idge, MA: Ha a d Business School. Cas año, C. (2008). La segunda b echa digi al [The second digi al di ide]. Mad id, Spain: Ediciones Cá ed a. Cas ells, M., Fe nández-A de ol, M., Qiu, J., & Sey, A. (2007). Mobile comunica ion socie y: A global pe spec i e. Camb idge, MA: MIT P ess. Copus, A. (2001). F om co e-pe iphe y o polycen ic de elopmen : Concep s o spa ial and aspa ial pe iphe iali y. Eu opean Planning S udies, 9(4), 539–552. Chen, Y.-T., & Ka z, J. E. (2009). Ex ending amily o school li e: College s uden s’ use o he mobile phone. In e na ional Jou nal o Human-Compu e S udies, 67, 179–191. Fe ás, C., & O’Flanagan, P. (2012). Small-holding and sus ainable amily a ming in Galicia and I eland: A compa a i e case s udy. No ois. En i onnmen , Aménagemen , Socié é, 224(3), 61–76. F iedman, T. (2006). La ie a es plana. B e e his o ia del mundo globalizado del siglo XXI [The wo ld is la : A b ie his o y o he 21s cen u y]. Mad id, Spain: Ediciones Ma ínez Roca. Galán, C. (2004). Q s k ablms? En el p incipio e a el mó il [Q s k ablms? In he beginning was he mobile]. In M. Villayand e Llamaza es (Ed.), Ac as del V Cong eso de Lingüís ica Gene al [P oceedings o he V Cong ess o Gene al Linguis ics], (pp. 1099‒1107). León, Spain: A co Lib os. Go do López, J. (2006). Jó enes y cul u a messenge [Young and messenge cul u e]. Mad id, Spain: Inju e. G ane , D., Be anuy, M., Sánchez, A., & Cas ellana, M. (2007). ¿Qué uso hacen los jó enes y adolescen es de In e ne y del mó il? [How you h and adolescen s use he In e ne and mobile phone? ]. In L. Ál a ez Pousa, J. E ans Pim, & O. C espo A gibay (Eds.), Comunicación e Xu en ude: Ac as do Fo o In e nacional (pp. 71–90). León, Spain: A co Lib os. Ins i u o Galego de Es a is ica. (2008). Galicia en ci as [Galicia in numbe s]. Re ie ed om h p://www.ige.eu/es a ico/h ml/gl/galicia_en_ci as/GaliciaEnCi as.h m Ins i u o Nacional de Es adís ica. (2012). Encues a sob e equipamien o y uso de ecnologías de la in o mación y comunicación en los hoga es [Su ey on equipmen and use o in o ma ion echnologies and communica ion in homes]. Re ie ed om h p://www.ine.es/jaxi/menu.do? ype=pcaxis&pa h=/ 25/p450& ile=inebase In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7 (2013) Can We Ge A ound Ru al Isola ion? 2607 Ins i u o Nacional de Tecnologías de la Comunicación (INTECO) and O ange Founda ion (2010). Es udios sob e segu idad y p i acidad en el uso de los se icios mó iles po los meno es españoles [S udies on secu i y and p i acy in he use o mobile se ices by Spanish mino s] and Es udio sob e el uso de los sma phones en los meno es [S udy on he use o sma phones in he mino s]. Re ie ed om h p://www.in eco.es/Es udios/Es udio_mo iles_meno es, h p://www.in eco.es/Es udios/Es udio_sma phones_meno es Inkinen, T. (2008). Gende and he social use o mobile echnologies. F om in o ma ion socie y policies o e e yday p ac ices. In P. U eng & T. C esswell (Eds.), Gende ed Mobili ies (pp. 213–228). Alde sho , UK: Ashga e. Kalan a idis, C. H.(2006). A s udy in o he localiza ion o u al businesses in i e Eu opean Coun ies. Eu opean Planning S udies, 14(1), 61–78. Ka z, J. E. (Ed.) (2003). Machines ha become us: The social con ex o in e pe sonal communica ion echnologies. Pisca away, NJ: T ansac ion Publishe s. Ka z, J. E. (2006). Magic in he Ai : Mobile Communica ions and he T ans o ma ion o Social Li e. Pisca away, NJ: T ansac ion Publishe s. Lee, C. (2003). How does ins an messaging a ec in e ac ion be ween he gende s? Re ie ed om www.s an o d.edu/class/pw 3-25/g oup2/pd s/IM_Gende s.pd . Ling, R. (2002). Chicas adolescen es y jó enes adul os a ones: Dos subcul u as del elé ono mó il [Adolescen gi ls and young adul men: Two subcul u es o he mobile phone]. Es udios de Ju en ud, 57, 33–46. Ling, R. (2004). The Mobile Connec ion: he Cell Phone’s Impac on Socie y. San F ancisco, CA: Mo gan Kau mann Publishe s. Ling, R. (2008). New ech, new ies: How mobile communica ion is eshaping social cohesion. Camb idge, MA: MIT P ess. Malo, S., Casas, F., Figue , C., & González, M. (2006). El elé ono mó il: Disponibilidad, usos y elaciones po pa e de los adolescen es en e 12 y 16 años [The mobile phone: A ailabili y, uses and ela ionships by he adolescen s aged 12 o 16 yea s]. Es udios sob e Educación, 10, 55–78. Ma ínez, I., Miguel, J., & To ajada, I. (2009, Decembe ). Mo ilizad@s: Muje es y comunicaciones mó iles en España [Mobilized: Women and mobile communica ions in Spain]. Feminismo/s, 15– 34. 2608 Ca los Fe ás, Yolanda Ga cía, Ma iña Pose In e na ional Jou nal o Communica ion 7(2013) Méndez, S., & Rod íguez, E. (2011). Consecuencias u u as del despe a de una gene ación de adolescen es digi ales. Escena ios posibles [Fu u e consequences o he awakening o a gene a ion o digi al adolescen s. Possible scena ios]. Re is a de Es udios de la Ju en ud, 92, 11– 36. Mo eno Fe nández, F. (1994). Sociolingüís ica, es adís ica e in o má ica [Sociolinguis ics, s a is ics and compu e ]. Lingüís ica, 6, 95–154. Na al, C., & Sádaba, C. (2005). Ju en ud y medios de comunicación en e a en e [You h acing he media]. Re is a de Es udios de Ju en ud, 68, 9–16. O ange Founda ion. (2013). E-España. In o me anual sob e la sociedad de la in o mación [E-Spain. Annual epo on he in o ma ion socie y]. Re ie ed om h p:// undaciono ange.es/ undaciono ange/analisis/eespana/e_espana13.h ml Ochai a, E., Espinosa, M. A., & Gu ié ez, H. (2011). Las necesidades adolescen es y las nue as ecnologías de la in o mación y la comunicación [The adolescen needs and new echnologies o in o ma ion and communica ion]. Re is a de Es udios de la Ju en ud, 92, 87–110. Pe ie a, R. (2006). T ans o ming echnologies: Al e ed sel es—Mobile phones and In e ne use in he Philippines. Manila, Philippines: De Salle Uni e si y P ess. Rice, R. E., & Ka z, J. E. (2003). Compa ing In e ne and mobile phone usage: digi al di ide o usage, adop ion, and d opou s. Telecommunica ions Policy, 27, 597–623. Sanko , D., Tagliamon e, S. A., & Smi h, E. (2005). Gold a b X. A mul i a ia e analysis applica ion. Re ie ed om h p://indi idual.u o on o.ca/ agliamon e/gold a b.h m Simón, A. (2008). Tuen i, la compe encia de Facebook hecha en España [Tuen i, acebook compe i ion made in Spain]. In Cinco Días. Re ie ed om h p://cincodias.com/cincodias/2008/04/11/emp esas/1207921214_850215.h ml Tannen, D. (1994). Gende and discou se. New Yo k, NY: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess. Vidal Alba, D. (2003). Los mensajes de ex o en el elé ono mó il [Tex messaging on mobile phone]. In J.L. Gi ón, S. Iglesias, F.J. He e o & A. Na bona (Eds.), Es udios O ecidos al P o eso José Jesús de Bus os To a [S udies o e ed o P o esso José Jesús de Bus os To a ]. (pp. 921–935) (Vol. 2). Mad id, Spain: Uni e sidad Complu ense de Mad id. Wajcman, J. (2006). El ecno eminismo [Techno eminism]. Colección eminismos [Feminisms collec ion]. Mad id, Spain: Ediciones Cá ed a. Wa , B. (2012). Global geog aphies o he In e ne . Do d ech , Ne he lands: Sp inge .