Understanding mediated appearances and their proliferation: The case of the phone rings and the 'crisis of the summons'

This article investigates the effects of the appearance of distant individuals through different media and the role of the devices through which these appearances occur (e.g. rings, telephone rings, 'pop-up' windows, notifications). Revisiting the theories of performativity, the author shows how, by defining the concept more broadly, we are able to understand the performative effects of such occurrences, which imply artefactual mediations. This 'techno-pragmatic' approach is applied to the case of telephone rings. The article highlights a 'crisis of the summons' with regard to telephone rings, stemming from the tension between the demand for accessibility and connectivity, on the one hand, and individuals' concern to protect themselves, on the other.