“My Phone is a Part of My Soul” – How People Bond with Their Mobile Phones

In this paper, we present the results of research that examined how young and active mobile phone users describe their relationship and attachment with their phone, and what features and processes have played an active role in building the attachment. The results are based on street interviews of 40 mobile phone users that were conducted in India and Europe. Our analysis revealed that the following factors contribute towards building the relationship between the mobile phone and its user: 1) habit, 2) memories, 3) personalization, 4) adaptation, 5) process from use to presence, 6) buying the phone, and 7) phone content.