A Research On Couriers’ Mobile Phone Use And Self-Identity Formation

Self-identity,as the extremely important part of personality shaping,is an indispensable elements of social life in the era of information explosion.Mobile phones,as the most popular media tools,also influences the shaping process of self-identity every moment.This thesis attempts to investigate the impact of mobile media on people through the observation of the courier group,and in particular,to explore the changes of the courier group’s self-identity during the use of mobile phones.The study found that mobile phones affect urban couriers’ self-identity in four aspects:1.At the early stage of working in city,mobile phones are the basic tools for them to understand city life;2.After going in for express industry,mobile phones use is giving a ’work’label,the couriers find their new expectations for urban life,and promote their self-identity under the career identity;3.Under the negative judgement and biased report of mass media on express industry,couriers have gone through anxious and confused process in self-identity,which make them use mobile phones more for entertainment;4.After so many observational studies in work and urban life,the courier group internalises new identification standards,and gradually draws close to city people.With mobile phones,they can understand city life and learn new skills very quickly,and present ’idealised self’ in virtual world and the real life through mobile social applications.Mobile phone has a big effect on the whole changing process of self-identity,it has go through the entertainment stage,the profit stage,the study stage and self presentation stage,which greatly affects the entire urbanised process of the courier group,their future career development,social identity and self-identity.