Mobile phone use among Alcoholics Anonymous members: new sites for recovery

This article reports on a line of research exploring mobile phone use in the recovery efforts of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) members. A preliminary investigation indicated that many individuals in AA have come to rely on the mobile phone for both instrumental and expressive recovery-related interactions. This article reports on follow-up initiatives to assess whether and how these forms of use are linked to its perceived value and explores more deeply how the technology is used in these ways. Using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, the study found that expressive use of the mobile phone made a particularly meaningful contribution to the perceived value of the technology as a tool for recovery. In addition, it uncovered ways that AA members are using mobile communication for social support and to stay connected with others in the program. The discussion offers implications of the findings and directions for future research.