"We release them little by little": maturation and gender identity as seen in the use of mobile telephony

Summary form only given, as follows. This paper examines the social meaning behind the adoption of mobile telephones by teenagers in Norway. Through this adoption process, one can see the way in which youths are developing their adult identity as well as their gendered identity. The primary database used in this analysis is from two telephone questionnaires of Norwegian youths aged 13 to 20, carried out in October and December 1998. A total of 2007 interviews are included. The survey instrument covered teens' ownership of mobile telephones, payment forms and the use of mobile telephones to send and receive Short Message System (SMS) text messages. In addition, the analysis draws on a survey of 1001 Norwegian parents and ethnographic interviews of 12 families.