Domesticating the mobile in Estonia

Abstract

This article compares the dissemination and usage of mobile phones in post-Soviet, transitional Estonia with patterns in Sweden (a long-time Western democracy). Using a domestication perspective, the study examines the use of voice calls compared with texting by youths (aged 18—24) to probe the role of Estonia’s transition from a state-controlled to a market economy in shaping mobile usage. Results show that while the dissemination of mobiles among young Swedes and Estonians is similar, the patterns of texting and calling are not. In Sweden (as in Japan and even the USA), young people text more than they call, while the reverse is true in Estonia. These findings reflect the fact that unlike Swedes, many Estonians obtained mobile phones before getting landlines, and again unlike Swedes, Estonians are likely to give up landlines in favour of mobiles.