ABSTRACT
Vered Malka, Yaron Ariel, Ruth Avidar, Yezreel Valley Academic College, and Akiba Cohen, Tel Aviv University
Considerable research has been conducted on the adoption and multipurpose uses of mobile telephony, including the attempt to understand the phenomenon by comparing the uses and gratifications of smartphones to other media. Unlike “traditional” media, smartphones are more versatile and complex and their “technological affordances” make it almost impossible to predict which component will succeed in a specific situation, place, or society. We suggest that research on smartphones should not emphasize their technological characteristics but rather their functional compatibility. Along this vein, we provide illustrative data on the use of WhatsApp by Israelis in times of crisis.
