In the Campbell and Kwak reading, we learned about the “uses and gratifications” (U&G) theory. This theory is primarily used to determine “how user needs and motivations shape media use and other outcomes ” (Blumler and Katz, 1974).  A study was conducted using the U&G theory, and the results trevealed positive relationships between mobile phone use for information exchange and civic and political involvement. This is interesting, considering I use my mobile phone for information exchange, but have very little to no interest in political affairs. I guess this could be true for the masses, but I’m having a somewhat difficult time making the connection between mobile interaction specifically and political interaction. Now if we were talking specifically of “social media” or the internet, then I’d totally understand. For example, on Facebook, I see much more political dialogue taking place among my peer group taking place than I would ever see in face-to-face interactions among my peer group. However, I can look at older adults who don’t use mobile technology who are very much politically active, so I’m having a hard time seeing a correlation with the mobile technology and politics. Maybe if they are using Facebook or Twitter from their mobile devices…I don’t know.

In the Rojas piece, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) focused on issues of access, digital inequalities and descriptions of how they were used. I definitely see how the access has the ability to play a role in the increase in participation, simply by giving a person a more convenient means of acquiring information. And definitely, demographics have the potential to impact the availability that a person has to this type of technology. However, it certainly in my mind is not the “end all, be all” to whether a person is active in political spectacles.