Domestication analyses and the smartphone

The chapter first outlines the history of the domestication concept and how it evolved when applied by different researchers. This is then exemplified through diverse domestication studies of the mobile phone. In the case of the smartphone, the form of domestication analysis in part reflects how it is framed more generally (e.g., as mobile media or the mobile Internet), the level of the analysis (e.g., on the device or on an app), and which users are being considered. Two case studies, of older (9–16 years) and younger (0–5 years) subjects, are described to show how different domestication analyses are possible, in this case influenced by the age of the child. A typology is provided to illustrate some of the factors shaping domestication analyses.