Confession: I loathe cell phones. Cell phones are intrusive and addictive and contribute to car accidents.

At the same time, cell phones have huge potential for community building. They’re everywhere and a heck of a lot more portable than my beloved desk top computer.

I’m big into community building. I surrender, a little.

I may be about to surrender some more. Stanford’s persuasive technology folks have taken a new direction in captology research. Cell phones are this year’s first new project:
“By concentrating on mobile persuasion, we hope to develop a theory of what makes mobile devices (mobile phones, PDAs, handheld gaming systems, etc.) uniquely persuasive. Although our research has just begun, we already have a few ideas.

First, mobile devices have the power to be particularly contextual. People carry their mobile phones with them everywhere, and the number of mobile phones in the world is far ahead of internet adoption. Wherever you are right now, there are probably many mobile devices nearby. This “ready-at-hand” nature gives them the opportunity to intervene at just the right moment for maximum persuasive impact. For example, MyFoodPhone can help you watch what you eat when the food is right there in front of you.

Second, we feel that people develop special relationships with their mobile devices, unlike their computers. In particular, mobile devices can be part of one’s appearance - a fashion statement. People customize ringtones, faceplates, and accessorize their phones with hanging charms. More than that, a device can be a status symbol. Paris Hilton, for example, paid a designer to encrust her mobile phone with a variety of semi-precious stones.”

- Quoted by permission

Art? Community? Cross-cultural access? Communication psychology? Yummy.

Captivated? I am.

You can help with the study by answering a few short surveys.

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