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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Toward Research-Informed Design Implications for Interventions Limiting Smartphone Use
T2 - Functionalities Review of Digital Well-being Apps
AU - Almoallim, Sultan
AU - Sas, Corina
PY - 2022/4/30
Y1 - 2022/4/30
N2 - Background:Much HCI research has focused on wellbeing and how it can be better supported through a range of technologies from affective interfaces to mindfulness systems. At the same time, we have seen a growing number of digital wellbeing apps. However, there has been limited scholarly work reviewing these apps.Objective:This paper reports on an auto-ethnographic study and functionality review of the most popular 39 digital wellbeing apps on Google Play Store.Methods:A review of apps functionality based on descriptions from Google Play, and auto-ethnographic approach where the first author downloaded and used each app for at least 30 minutes on a Samsung Galaxy Note9 phone with Android mobile operating system.Results:Findings indicate that these apps focus mostly on limiting screen time and we advanced a richer conversation about such apps articulating the distinction between monitoring use, tracking use against set limits, and four specific strategies supporting limited use.Conclusions:We conclude with three implications for designing digital wellbeing apps including the call to move beyond screen time and support the broader focus of digital wellbeing, supporting meaningful use rather than limiting meaningless use, and leveraging (digital) navigation in design for friction.
AB - Background:Much HCI research has focused on wellbeing and how it can be better supported through a range of technologies from affective interfaces to mindfulness systems. At the same time, we have seen a growing number of digital wellbeing apps. However, there has been limited scholarly work reviewing these apps.Objective:This paper reports on an auto-ethnographic study and functionality review of the most popular 39 digital wellbeing apps on Google Play Store.Methods:A review of apps functionality based on descriptions from Google Play, and auto-ethnographic approach where the first author downloaded and used each app for at least 30 minutes on a Samsung Galaxy Note9 phone with Android mobile operating system.Results:Findings indicate that these apps focus mostly on limiting screen time and we advanced a richer conversation about such apps articulating the distinction between monitoring use, tracking use against set limits, and four specific strategies supporting limited use.Conclusions:We conclude with three implications for designing digital wellbeing apps including the call to move beyond screen time and support the broader focus of digital wellbeing, supporting meaningful use rather than limiting meaningless use, and leveraging (digital) navigation in design for friction.
KW - interventions for limiting use
KW - monitoring against set use limits
KW - tracking use
KW - smartphone apps
KW - digital well-being
KW - barriers
KW - design for friction
KW - screen time
KW - attention
KW - self-regulation
KW - mobile phone
U2 - 10.2196/31730
DO - 10.2196/31730
M3 - Journal article
VL - 6
JO - JMIR Formative Research
JF - JMIR Formative Research
SN - 2561-326X
IS - 4
M1 - e31730
ER -