Domestication of Camera Phone and MMS Communication: the Early Experiences of Young Italians

Digital photography effected with a camera-phone and wireless visual communications conducted for social purposes are renewing aesthetic, experiential, and relational codes, as evidenced by the results of a sociological research project – based on the integration of various non-standard instruments – on the processes of incorporating new camera-phones in the spatial, temporal, and relational structures of young Italian people’s daily experiences. The research involved 70 male and female participants ranging in age from teenagers to young adults (14 to 34 years old). The participants, who were from Milan and the surrounding area, were owners of new mobile devices with colour displays and icon interfaces, built-in or optional cameras, and MMS protocols. The relatively long time-span of the research project made it possible to observe the progressive familiarization with the new devices and communication practices, and to note the rapid reduction in resistance initially put up by traditional young users.