“Stop Phubbing Me!”

In studies on mobile communication, a topic that has been of particular interest is the impact of increased adoption and use of mobile devices in everyday activities and in the context of interpersonal relationships. However, the ease of accessing digital content and connecting to people physically distant through the recent mobile communication technologies has shown barriers and opportunities in human interaction. Based on the theoretical approaches on identity and relational artifacts grounded in mobility and absent presence concepts, this paper describes some aspects among young people in Brazil in relation to the “phubbing” phenomenon. The term was coined to describe the act of ignoring someone due to the use of a smartphone. The results indicated effects on the level of attention and interaction, regarding not only the content of smartphone, but also the social protocol and the face-to-face communication.

From Information Society to Community Service

This chapter presents a perspective of a post-industrial society, through the development of the information society and its deployment, focusing on the possibilities of a service predominant society. The most important point of this exercise is that this approach did not happen as expected in form or time. In the past, the ICT tools were restricted to centers of competence or in organizations. Nowadays, their increasingly presence in individual lives, as well as in their human relationships, is changing social and commercial relations, the meaning of work and political participation of people in a compulsory way, unlike what had happened at the turn of agricultural to industrial Eras. New possibilities happen in a rapid manner in a society based on wealth concentration, when there is association of ICTs with the restlessness of social movements or collective protests demanding better living conditions of minority communities. The increasing information flows have led to the desire of knowledge. However, this search for the social welfare achievements has occurred in a superficial manner, leading to anxiety and depression of common and deprived citizens. A new Citizenship or, better defined, e-Citizenship emerges between their aspirations. Based on facts and observations of recent research on the impacts of ICTs in the last ten years, the approach of a community service changes the daily lives of individuals, despite its acceptance or perception, the presence of virtual media, the growing media innovation and agricultural, industrial and operational processes, as well as the claimed social movements.

Technological Illusions and Educational Resistances

OLPC, the One Laptop Per Child initiative, was accepted by just a few countries, including Peru. The largest acquisition of computers has produced a fairly low impact in education and is now being quietly phased-out. Peru's government decision to adopt the computers, back in 2007, was not contested or questioned by the political class, the media or even teachers, with just a rather small number of specialists arguing against it. This chapters discussed the political and argumentative processes that brought OLPC into the public sphere, through the use of a specific narrative, that of hackerism, i.e., the hacker attitude towards computers, and how social and political validation resulted in adoption. An assessment of the process of framing OLPC as a hacker product and the perils of such reasoning lead to discuss the need for a counter-narrative about the role of computers in society.

Informational Literacy as Key Element in Social and Digital Inclusion Policies in Mexico

The social and digital inclusion, is currently one of the main concerns of developing countries and peripheral economies (as in the case of Mexico), whereas it is mainly characterized by low levels of information literacy of the general population, causing marked differences in digital, social and employment gaps. This chapter analyzes the problems of Mexico regarding the levels of use and access to information through ICT and its position as a country in relation to others. Furthermore, two fundamental questions of national development strategies in relation to information: a) the status of the general population (which indicates that only 43.5% have internet access) and b) the issues of low generation of knowledge and reliance on information consumption abroad. Finally studies the National Development Plan, questioning whether he truly believes inclusive and if alternative proposals have been raised only in the rhetoric of government documents.

Trends in Information Literacy Programmes to Empower People and Communities

It is explained how an understanding of information literacy programs should evolve to empower people and communities. These programmes, it is suggested, would serve as training in those types of social technologies that enhance the capability of self-organization, social and democratic influence, alternative systems of consumption and services, and so on. Keeping in mind the social and technological attempts to face situations of scarcity caused by the present European economic crisis, the framework of this approach is in the main documents of the European Union concerning citizenship skills, as well as in social demands on open government (transparency, participation and collaboration). Based on the absence or inadequacy of the issues in the syllabi of most information literacy programmes, guidelines are suggested in order that they may be promoted by library systems and other public networks of socio-educational action, emphasizing learning for social innovation.

Information Policies

EU policies for digital inclusion outline strategies and action plans based around the implementation of a digitally inclusive society in its member countries. The governing principles of these policies are based on the concept of a knowledge society for everyone, with no place for digital divides that might threaten cohesion and prosperity in Europe and, as such, these policies must encourage greater use of the Internet, increase broadband coverage, promote digital literacy and uphold the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. In 2010, the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Regions Committee, publishes the Digital Agenda for Europe, (2010). A key document that outlines the European policy for ICTs and establishes the priorities of the EU in this area until 2020. The purpose of the Agenda is to outline a space that allows maximization of the economic and social potential of ICTs and specifically Internet as an essential support of society.

Digital Inclusion, Crowdfunding, and Crowdsourcing in Brazil

In the present chapter, we map and characterize crowdsourcing and crowdfunding platforms that promote social entrepreneurship in the online universe. We first analyze relevant theoretical concepts and the existing literature on entrepreneurship, digital inclusion, information and open culture, digital culture, and social technologies to better understand the genesis and development of initiatives that promote social entrepreneurship in the online universe. Then, we map and describe the platforms that tried to encourage this type of entrepreneurship around the world, especially in Brazil. Finally, we examine some important aspects of the panorama of crowdfunding in Brazil. By exploring the current development of crowdfunding and crowdsourcing platforms at international level, we expect to contribute to the creation of new projects and policies that respond to the current demands of the network society.

Digital Inclusion Programs in South America

This chapter aims to provide an overview of digital inclusion in Mercosur countries. It is particularly focused on the description of the Plan Ceibal in Uruguay which is considered a national public policy. It promotes the integration of Uruguayan citizens in a digital context, contributing to equity and democratization of information and knowledge. This plan is based on the experience promoted by Negroponte OLPC. It was adapted to the peculiarities and needs of Uruguay. It was implemented in stages, beginning with a geographical area of the country that served as a pilot one. There were delivered more than 350,000 laptops for children in all primary schools of the whole country. Currently, the Plan also applies to secondary education level. It is presented data on assessments and studies about the implementation of the Plan.

Digital Revolution in Latin America beyond Technologies

The challenge of interactive digital television (iDTV) in Latin America is to give opportunity of technological access and participation to a significant parcel of the population whose main information source is (still analog) television. The increase in connected device possession and system digitalization has been modifying consumption habits of audiovisual content. Television is still the home center, but now it divides the attention with mobile phones, smartphones, tablets and laptops, delineating a consumption that is multitasking, portable, mobile etc., but not always linked (independent devices use), there are multi-platform services and products that allow this interaction, though. Several externalities must be considered, either the different stages of digital signal development and application, or the cultural diversity, laws, technological unfolding, education, and even the economic aspects of each country. The paper aims to provide demands of how to digitally include these millions of citizens who don't have internet access.

A Netnographic Approach on Digital Emerging Literacies in the Digital Inclusion Program AcessaSP - Brazil

This chapter presents survey made in one of the largest programs of Brazilian digital inclusion, AcessaSP, responsible for the provision of spaces for access and interact with information and communication technologies in virtually every city in the State of São Paulo. It is reported netnographic qualitative research with actors in network of telecentres and infocenters goers. The text is organized to discuss the digital inclusion from the perspective of interactivity and emergent literacies, affiliate concept of this work, we consider important to the understanding of skills, abilities and skills in appropriating digital. Completion of some topics considered vectors of digital inclusion for its apparent ability to conduct important experiments in the development of literacies of an autonomous process, can be inferred from including social networking, games, mobile, interpersonal communication, production multimedia and work and entrepreneurship.