Mobile phone use by college and university students in Botswana: An ethnographic study

Abstract

In this paper, I consider how mobile phones have become central to the everyday lives of students in Botswana. Using non-participant observations and focus group discussions, this ethnographic study explored why students in Botswana consider mobile phones as 'must have' technology. The devices promise them extensive connectedness with their families and friends, facilitate learning, and stimulate a sense of personal identity and belonging into social groups. The potency of mobile phones in this regard is expressly linked to the socio-economic challenges that these students face, such as rural-urban migration, the digital divide and poverty. This paper therefore suggests that although empirical studies about the use of mobile phones by college and university students from various regions may show slightly similar findings, the specific uses of the device in each region across the world is determined by the socio-economic challenges that the students face.