Nomadism and intermittent ubiquity in ‘off the grid’ Shuar people

Abstract

Media ecology suggests that the anyone, anywhere, anytime slogan of the ubiquitous society characterizes our times. A priori, mobile technology in the “digital ecosystem” fits this circumstance. However, if we delocalize to a remote area, this initial assumption changes. Results of a case study analyzing the use and appropriation of mobile phones in the indigenous Amazon Shuar communities show a different reality that could be labeled ‘intermittent ubiquity’. How does the delocalization facilitated by mobile telephones affect a remote area? How do Ecuadorian Shuars appropriate digital mobile technology? How does technological novelty become apparent in a context that is currently ‘off the grid’? These questions drive our interest in examining the three premises of the ubiquitous society slogan in this specific context