Across disciplines, scholars extol the revolutionary potential of mobile technologies in developing nations. Mobile phones in particular may facilitate economic and social development. However, our understanding of mobile phone’s interaction with a developing country’s society is limited by two factors: first, development is often accompanied by social and political conflict; and second, scholars often provide a broad overview on the use of these technologies. We address these limitations through the use of data collected from ethnographic interviews conducted in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We highlight the everyday use of mobile technologies in developing nations that experience political conflict. We conclude that while mobile technologies have some potential of mitigating social inequality, political conflict, and safety concerns, these opportunities for meaningful use are hampered by limitations associated with daily life in developing countries such as irregular access to electricity and network coverage boundaries.
DRC & Digital Inequality
Internet Cafes provide digital literacy training and computer support.
Used cell phones sell for approximately $35 USD. The average annual income of a DRC citizen is approximately $400 USD.
Printing centers provide access to printing services, but may be obsolescent.
Obsolete charging station.
Digital literacy courses may focus on word processing or other common software platforms.
Cell phone users may purchase minutes and charge their phones at stands.