More Than Just Talk: Uses, Gratifications, and the Telephone

Abstract

This study examines gratifications sought from telephones and variations in behavioral patterns of telephone use. Such research is increasingly important as telephones become a mixed mass-media, interpersonal communication channel. The results of a survey of Midwestern adults delineate social, entertainment, and instrumental dimensions of telephone use. Uses vary considerably across specific demographics.

The uses and gratifications of mobile internet among the South African students

“…Existing research is not conclusive on the impact of gender on mobile technology usage. A study of mobile telephone use among Norwegian teenagers pointed to gender-related differences in the use of mobile telephony (Ling 2001); this is in line with earlier U&G studies on the telephone (Dimmick et al 1994;Noble 1987;O'Keefe and Sulanowski 1995). On the other hand, DeBaillon and Rockwell (2005) as well as Ogunyemi (2006) found no significant difference between the genders in having a mobile phone: male respondents use mobile Internet as much as females and for the same motivation.…”

In-Person Contact Begets Calling and Texting: Interpersonal Motives for Cell Phone Use, Face-to-Face Interaction, and Loneliness

“…These telephone studies generally found two categories of motives (or gratifications): intrinsic and instrumental motives. [15][16][17] Intrinsic or social motives refer to communicating with others through the telephone for the purpose of companionship, while instrumental or taskoriented motives refer to the use of the telephone for utility, for example, information seeking or making appointments.…”

Using familiar technologies in unfamiliar ways and learning from the old about the new

“…Lester details the range of telephone support services such as those involved in suicide prevention, drug addition advice and the support of particular groups such as the teenagers and the elderly, and points out that these services don't have to be actually used to provide a sense of support. Finally, O'Keefe et al find an ''entertainment function'' or ''fun'' motivation for telephone use [10], that is becoming more obvious as mobile telephones incorporate games. The four motivational categories identified by the authors can be seen in Table 1.…”

“…Instrumental [8] Task-oriented, information collection Intrinsic [8] ''Sociability'', social relation and connection management Reassurance [4] Potential of support, latent potential Entertainment [10] Fun and play it is more proactive. It's not really that there is the potential for contact, but that there is contact.…”