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Browsing by Author "Cooper, Carson Kane, author"

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    The paradox of cellphones: a media dependency study on college-aged teens and their cellphone use
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Cooper, Carson Kane, author; Martey, Rosa, advisor; Wolfgang, David, committee member; Scolere, Leah, committee member
    The cellphone has become a common tool for entertainment, communication, and information in everyday American life. However, with increased dependency on the cellphone, users are also seeing negative repercussions of their relationships with them. Research has found that cellphones are associated with feeling social and job pressures, anxiety, and depression. The media available through cellphones are intentionally crafted to hold users' extended attention and keep them engaged and active for long periods of time. Those who find themselves fighting against their own habits of cellphone use may be struggling against the software designers who make it difficult for users to disconnect themselves from their smartphones. This thesis studies the relationships between college-aged teens and their cellphones to understand the potential tensions between depending on this technology and feeling it is too demanding and distracting. It uses a series of in-depth interviews to address the research question: How do young adults view and feel about their relationship with their cellphones, and to what extent do they believe they are in control over their cellphone use? The theoretical framework of media dependency theory guides this project's approach by integrating considerations of how society plays a role in relationships with media technology. It also introduces key aspects of why users feel they want to escape their cellphones while examining the factors that make it so difficult for individuals to be without their cellphones. As a social level theory, media dependency theory aids in examining the role of the cellphone in society as a whole, and how individuals' relationships with their phones influence their broader social world.