The Exercise of Personal Agency by Mobile Phone Use: A mixed methods study study among young people in Mumbai, India

The objective of this study is to explore if mobile phone users exercise a higher ability to accomplish goals in daily life than mobile phone non-users. The ability to accomplish goals in daily life is referred to as Personal Agency in this study. In a particular manner this study explores the exercise of Personal Agency in managing contingent situations and in maintaining regular relationships in the daily lives of individuals. This study also set out to explore the capabilities that mobile phone use promotes in individuals which assist them to exercise Personal Agency. This study addresses these objectives by using the Empirical model of Agency by Hitlin and Elder Jr.. This study was conducted using the Mixed Methods approach. In keeping with this approach, the Quantitative and Qualitative data was collected from young people between 16 and 19 years belonging to Middle Class families in Mumbai. The data was collected through a survey, semi-structured interviews and group discussions. The Quantitative results of this study indicated that Personal Agency and Frequency of mobile phone use co-vary in relation to each other. The exercise of Personal Agency increases with the increase in Frequency of mobile phone use. It also indicated that the exercise of Personal Agency was higher among mobile phone users than mobile phone non-users. The Qualitative data demonstrated that Personal Agency was enhanced by the tri-capabilities of ‘Contactability’, ‘Organizability’ and ‘De-restriction’ which are facilitated by mobile phone use