ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses mobile writing by examining dominant constructions of mobile devices and writing that happens in untethered spaces. It argues that smartphone users articulate strong relationships to the devices themselves and their everyday uses, and finds that for young adults, in particular, mobile devices are deeply embedded in their daily interactions. The chapter focuses primarily on data collected in a Fall 2016 survey of eighteen remaining participants of The University of Arizona (UA) Study of Student Writers. It finds that students demonstrate a privileging of mobility over mere connectivity and a seemingly conservative view of their smartphones as a medium for writing. For UA Study students, the predominate constructions of writing and their writing lives was their academic writing, particularly essays, lab reports, and other typical assignments throughout their college careers. Mobile devices become mediums of desire, mediums for connecting to people, communities, and ideas.
