Hybrid Space revisited: from concept toward theory

Abstract Hybrid Spaces emerge from the blending of physical and digital spaces produced by the mobility of people communicating via mobile technologies. This articulation of Hybrid Space has influenced scholars of communication, media, mobilities, and other fields, as evidenced by our analysis of literature. Over the last two decades, however, Hybrid Spaces have morphed and adapted to our changing sociotechnical landscape. This article updates the concept, identifying developments with its key dimensions of mobility, connectivity, and sociability, while analyzing how it has been taken up in literature. Our analysis indicates Hybrid Space has, thus far, exclusively been taken up for inductive scholarship. We propose an updated conceptual model of Hybrid Space that can inform ways in which the concept can help with both inductive and deductive theorizing, expanding its scope in promising new directions.