Exploration of the forms of mobile phone attachment among traders in Ghana

Abstract

Studies on mobile phone attachment have often focused on addiction to the mobile phone with a particular focus on young populations to the neglect of older ones. However, attachment to the mobile phone means more than addiction as experienced by young populations in developed nations. This paper attempts to explore the various forms of attachment across a working population in Africa. It is aimed at establishing the forms of attachment to the mobile phone and their possible sociodemographic variations. Data was collected from 374 used-clothing traders in Accra, using a mixed-methods approach. Employing the conversion framework from domestication theory, a thematic analysis showed that attachment to mobile phone use is culturally specific. A principal component analysis revealed five types of attachment with significant variations across age, gender, and level of education.