The (other) two percent also matter: The construction of mobile phone refusers

Abstract

Technological resistance practices hold significant insights regarding the media’s role as much as its adoption and usage practices. However, studies examining media non-use have generally overlooked mobile phone resisters—individuals voluntarily deciding not to own mobile phones. Based on 25 in-depth interviews with mobile phone refusers, this study presents two refuser types differing in refusal dynamics. The first are ideologists, whose rejection stems from a formulated, critical worldview towards the mobile phone, in particular, and communication technologies, in general. The second are realizers, whose “post-factum resistance” resulted from a forced but positive experience of a temporary break in use (e.g., when their device was broken or stolen), motivating them to disconnect in an attempt to preserve the new, liberated space they experienced. Additional findings reveal the non-ownership practices adopted by the mobile phone refusers; the novel psychological and sociological motives underlying mobile phone refusal concerning the home space and digital well-being; refuser resistance discourse, which focuses solely on the medium’s nature and not its content; and how refusers negotiate the social status and stigma that accompanies their mobile phone refusal. Our study illustrates how mobile phone refusal stands apart from other media resistance, providing a deeper perspective on the price of connectivity, and thus underscoring the importance of studying these refusers. The uniqueness of mobile phone refusal is further expressed in its complexity, extremity, perceived authenticity, and visibility.