The Internet, mobile phone and space-time constraints

While the implications of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for daily travel and activities have been studied extensively, there is only scant attention paid to the relations between ICTs and space-time constraints. This study therefore explores the extent to which the Internet and m...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Schwanen, T, Kwan, M
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2008
Subjects:
_version_ 1797098151312621568
author Schwanen, T
Kwan, M
author_facet Schwanen, T
Kwan, M
author_sort Schwanen, T
collection OXFORD
description While the implications of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for daily travel and activities have been studied extensively, there is only scant attention paid to the relations between ICTs and space-time constraints. This study therefore explores the extent to which the Internet and mobile phone increase the spatial and temporal flexibility of everyday activities through a review of the literature and empirical research with data from Columbus (Ohio, USA) and Utrecht (The Netherlands). The analysis suggests that the implications of the Internet and mobile phone are complex and dependent on the type of activity, persons involved, technologies and socio-physical context in which they are embedded. Various regularities can, however, be detected. For the study participants, the Internet and mobile phone relax temporal constraints to a stronger degree than they enhance spatial flexibility. There are also space-time constraints that seem to persist or have come about because of ICT adoption. Finally, it appears that the Internet and mobile phone at best consolidate differences between men and women in the space-time constraints associated with everyday activities.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T05:05:34Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:d9cba0f7-a547-4046-b144-5af78cb778b2
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T05:05:34Z
publishDate 2008
publisher Elsevier
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:d9cba0f7-a547-4046-b144-5af78cb778b22022-03-27T08:58:32ZThe Internet, mobile phone and space-time constraintsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:d9cba0f7-a547-4046-b144-5af78cb778b2American studiesInternet and everyday lifeGenderEuropeCommerce, Communications, TransportEnglishSocial Sciences Division - DaisyElsevier2008Schwanen, TKwan, MWhile the implications of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for daily travel and activities have been studied extensively, there is only scant attention paid to the relations between ICTs and space-time constraints. This study therefore explores the extent to which the Internet and mobile phone increase the spatial and temporal flexibility of everyday activities through a review of the literature and empirical research with data from Columbus (Ohio, USA) and Utrecht (The Netherlands). The analysis suggests that the implications of the Internet and mobile phone are complex and dependent on the type of activity, persons involved, technologies and socio-physical context in which they are embedded. Various regularities can, however, be detected. For the study participants, the Internet and mobile phone relax temporal constraints to a stronger degree than they enhance spatial flexibility. There are also space-time constraints that seem to persist or have come about because of ICT adoption. Finally, it appears that the Internet and mobile phone at best consolidate differences between men and women in the space-time constraints associated with everyday activities.
spellingShingle American studies
Internet and everyday life
Gender
Europe
Commerce, Communications, Transport
Schwanen, T
Kwan, M
The Internet, mobile phone and space-time constraints
title The Internet, mobile phone and space-time constraints
title_full The Internet, mobile phone and space-time constraints
title_fullStr The Internet, mobile phone and space-time constraints
title_full_unstemmed The Internet, mobile phone and space-time constraints
title_short The Internet, mobile phone and space-time constraints
title_sort internet mobile phone and space time constraints
topic American studies
Internet and everyday life
Gender
Europe
Commerce, Communications, Transport
work_keys_str_mv AT schwanent theinternetmobilephoneandspacetimeconstraints
AT kwanm theinternetmobilephoneandspacetimeconstraints
AT schwanent internetmobilephoneandspacetimeconstraints
AT kwanm internetmobilephoneandspacetimeconstraints