Mobile phones and "good Muslim women": narratives of young women from the old city of Hyderabad, India

Mobile technology has revolutionised the world, especially the younger generations who have unlimited access to information and social media, providing an opportunity for self-exploration and identity building. However, within the old city of Hyderabad, the use of technology needs to be cautiously navigated due to constant social surveillance and fear of punishment, especially for girls. This study aims to understand the linkages between identities in the virtual and the real world and unpack the construction of "self" by study participants. It explores the role of technology in exacerbating the existing patriarchal culture of the community. By using data from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, study findings reveal that there is a differential access to mobile technology for boys and girls and spiralling online violence against women. On the contrary, findings also reveal the positive influence of mobile technology on young girls as it provides a new sense of expression and assertion of freedom, allowing them to circumvent surveillance of the elderly by tapping into intergenerational differences and fast-paced social media. Lastly, our findings add to the literature that re-enforces hegemonic masculinity exhibited by boys owing to their access to adult content.