Unravelling the Interplay Between Communication Technology and Society: Comparative Analyses of Mobile Phones and Social Media in Asia

by Ran Wei , Ph.D. Chair, Communication and Technology Division, International Communication Association & School of Journalism & Communication, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,

Abstract

Unravelling the Interplay between Communication Technology and Society: Comparative Analyses of Mobile Phones and Social Media in Asia Ran Wei , Ph.D. Chair, Communication and Technology Division International Communication Association School of Journalism & Communication The Chinese University of Hong Kong Abstract The relationship between technology and society has been characterized as being symbiotic, reciprocal, cyclical, and complicated. To shed light on the complicated relationship, I will present findings from two large-scale comparative studies on consumption of mobile news and diffusion and impacts of COVID-19 misinformation in four of Asia’s IT savvy societies (Hong Kong, Mainland China, Singapore and Taiwan).

The studies were set in localized socio-political conditions with different media ecosystems to examine the use and impacts of two globally popular communication technologies-mobile phones and social media. Findings suggest that a new communication technology such as the smartphone matters, especially in its early stage of diffusion as a novelty. However, technology alone does not define the outcomes of popular use. Structural factors and media ecosystems tend to prevail in shaping the experience of using the technology with differential impacts in the four societies.