Exploring the Non-Use of Mobile Devices in Families through Provocative Design
Anders Bruun, Rikke Hagensby Jensen, Jesper Kjeldskov, Jeni Paay, Camilla Mejlby Hansen, Katarína Leci Sakácová, Mette Hyllested Larsen
Abstract
Mobile devices are fast becoming an integral part of family life. While mobile technology provides constant connectivity to a world outside the home, it inevitably disrupts family dynamics and the social notion of being together. In this paper, we explore "non-use" of mobile technology in a family setting. To do this, we designed the Pup-Lock provotype, a design provocation intended to challenge established expectations and practices around mobile device use at home. We report on a five-week in-depth study of using Pup-Lock with three families reflecting on their mobile device usage and their experience of non-use. Our findings illustrate how mobile use shapes social expectations and how over-use creates tensions in families. We contribute by showing how provoking non-use through design results in desirable and meaningful ways to increase family interaction. We discuss implications of designing for non-use to challenge established domestic practices around technology use.