Aware but not in Control

Abstract

The wide distribution of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has affected our lives in the working environment as well as in private and social contexts and has done so not only in a positive, but also threatening way. Researchers and scholars have therefore called for a sustainable and value-based design of technologies. However, in order to propose better designs, we first need to understand how ICTs affect users. While many studies have focused on the effects of the internet, smartphones, and social media, reported results suggest that the influences of these technologies are complex and often depend on contextual factors. This study aims to provide a starting point for future value-based designs of ICTs by offering insights on how students, as representatives for regular users of new technologies, experience the changes ICTs have brought to their lives. A qualitative content analysis of twelve indepth, semi-structured interviews identifies values that flourish with ICTs but also discovers paradoxical effects: ICTs affect many of these values also in a negative way. Results indicate that users of ICTs are aware of negative effects, but lack the control to change their own behavior. Our findings point out that users need better protection and motivate the adoption of ethical design frameworks for ICTs.

FOMO-Centricity: How Social Media's Dark Designs Cause Users to Reluctantly Give Up their Data

“…This raises the question: if the user actually is in a place they consider to be impressive, do they feel more pressure to share that location, for the sake of social capital? This would fall in line with Bednar et al's finding that users feel an experience is worth less if it has not been digitally shared [11].…”

“…Following compulsive documentation, participants feel they have to post any time something interesting or fun happens to them, to validate the experience to others and gain social capital. This is in line with Bednar et al's [11] The motivation to share their lives becomes so great that not only do participants feel pressured to post the events that organically occur; they will go out of their way to create life experiences for the purpose of having them validated on the platform.…”

“…Through a series of semi-structured interviews, Bednar et al [11] on them and sell their data to third parties, a biased view of reality, and problems associated with the powerful position of ICTs in society [11].…”

“…Bednar et al put it succinctly: "Our interview partners are fully aware of [negative effects], but feel incapable of reacting. They expressed the wish to stop, reduce, or change their use, but they do not feel in control of their own behavior" [11]. Paasonen [77] reports a kind of "ambivalence" caused by FoMO and participatory reluctance, making users feel helpless as they continue to use social media in the face of "creepiness" invoked by awareness of data leaks: there is a sense by users that this is simply the price to pay for using the service.…”

“…Feeling they were "missing out" on the offline world as a result of their dependency, Bednar's participants expressed wishes for social media or smartphones to be abolished, harder sanctions for privacy violations, and even spending more time in nature [11].…”