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It Is All About Location: Smartphones And Tracking The Spread Of Covid-19, Jordan Frith, Michael Saker
It Is All About Location: Smartphones And Tracking The Spread Of Covid-19, Jordan Frith, Michael Saker
Publications
Mobile phone location data have become tied to understandings of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data visualizations have used mobile phone data to inform people about how mobility practices may be linked to the spread of the virus, and governments have explored contact tracing that relies upon mobile phone data. This article examines how these uses of location data implicate three particular issues that have been present in the growing body of locative media research: (1) anonymized data are often not anonymous, (2) location data are not always representative and can exacerbate inequality, and (3) location data are a …
Social Shaping Of Mobile Geomedia Services: An Analysis Of Yelp And Foursquare, Jordan Frith, Rowan Wilken
Social Shaping Of Mobile Geomedia Services: An Analysis Of Yelp And Foursquare, Jordan Frith, Rowan Wilken
Publications
In their book, Location-Based Social Media: Space, Time and Identity, Leighton Evans and Michael Saker remark on the apparent ‘death’ of location-based social networks, suggesting that location-based social networks can now be understood as ‘a form of “zombie-media” that animates and haunts other media platforms’. In this article, we use this perspective as a point of departure for a social shaping of technology-informed analysis of two key geomedia platforms: Yelp and Foursquare. With Yelp approaching its 15th year of service and Foursquare approaching its 10th anniversary, this article provides a timely opportunity to (re-)examine the significance of Yelp and …
From Hybrid Space To Dislocated Space: Mobile Virtual Reality And A Third Stage Of Mobile Media Theory, Michael Saker, Jordan Frith
From Hybrid Space To Dislocated Space: Mobile Virtual Reality And A Third Stage Of Mobile Media Theory, Michael Saker, Jordan Frith
Publications
Research in the field of mobile communication studies (MCS) has generally moved away from focusing on how mobile phones distract users from their physical environment to considering how the experience of space and place can be enhanced by locative smartphone applications. This article argues that trajectory may be complicated by the emergence of a new type of mobile technology: mobile virtual reality (MVR). While an increasing number of handsets are specifically developed with MVR in mind, there is little to no research that situates this phenomenon within the continuum of MCS. The intention of this paper is accordingly twofold. First, …
Invisibility Through The Interface: The Social Consequences Of Spatial Search, Jordan Frith
Invisibility Through The Interface: The Social Consequences Of Spatial Search, Jordan Frith
Publications
Location-based services are mobile applications that use a device’s location to provide relevant results. Spatial search applications are a popular subset of location-based services that enable people to search through their surrounding space to find nearby locations. This article examines spatial search applications through a framework that combines critical geography research with research on the power search engines exert over information visibility. The main argument of the article is that popular spatial search applications, such as Yelp, may subtly reproduce existing forms of spatial segregation by rendering certain location invisible through the mobile mapping interface.
The Digital “Lure”: Small Businesses And Pokémon Go, Jordan Frith
The Digital “Lure”: Small Businesses And Pokémon Go, Jordan Frith
Publications
Most of the discussion about Pokémon Go has focused on the end-user and the playful nature of the game. Experts have mentioned the game’s commercialism, but they have done so mostly by talking about the data collection practices of the app developers. This commentary piece takes a different approach by examining how businesses have used Pokémon Go’s “lures” to attract foot traffic. The main goal of the article is to show how the ludic, digital wayfaring of location-based games can be used by individual places to attract players. While the focus is on business owners, I will also address …