Mobile and ICTs in China: The Case of Migrant Workers in the Pearl River Delta

Migrant workers belong to the lowest income group in southern China, yet the number of them owning mobile phones has increased sharply in recent years. More interestingly, their mobile phones usually cost three to four times their monthly income. In view of this intriguing phenomenon, the authors have conducted research on the social consequences of the adoption of mobile phones among migrant workers in Dongguan City. Since 2003 onwards, they have conducted in-depth interviews with migrant workers on their use of mobile phones. In the paper, they present the background of mobile phone development in China, introduce the patterns of mobile phone consumption among the workers, then analyze the impact of mobile technology on the social relationship of the workers and shed light on how the expanded networks are helping migrant workers to empower themselves regarding their working conditions. Finally, they depict the situation of odd job workers in the ICT era, and try to project possible future impact of ICT in contemporary China.