mobile phones
Definition
Mobile phones refers to portable internet-connected devices that function as primary tools for communication, information access, and social connection during and after migration. For refugees and asylum seekers in particular, these devices serve as instruments for safety, geographic orientation, and maintaining social ties across borders throughout migration journeys. They also enable near-synchronous contact with countries of origin and facilitate access to diaspora networks in settlement countries, reshaping the conditions under which acculturation occurs. Research on digitally mediated acculturation identifies mobile phones alongside social media and the broader internet as technologies that have dramatically increased contact among geographically dispersed cultural groups, reducing some of the psychological and sociocultural burdens traditionally associated with cultural adaptation.
Sources: Stuart et al. (2025)
Related Terms
- acculturation (1 shared article)
- social media (1 shared article)
- migrants (1 shared article)
- digital technology (1 shared article)
- digital diaspora (1 shared article)
Applications
Mobile Phones and Refugee Acculturation
For refugees and asylum seekers, mobile phones function as essential instruments during migration journeys, supporting safety, navigation, and the maintenance of social connections. These devices introduce risks alongside their benefits, including exposure to surveillance, exploitation, and the psychological stress of constant connectivity.
Sources: Stuart et al. (2025)
Mobile Phones and Migration Intentions
Higher levels of mobile internet access at the country level are associated with greater numbers of people forming aspirations and plans to migrate. Increased access to information about economic and social conditions in destination countries, enabled through mobile connectivity, reduces the uncertainties that would otherwise discourage migration.
Sources: Stuart et al. (2025)
