Steve Howard and Jennie Carroll (UoM) John Murphy and Jane Peck (CTP)

1. JUST WHAT DO THE YOUTH OF TODAY WANT? (TECHNOLOGY APPROPRIATIONBY YOUNG PEOPLE) • Steve Howard and Jennie Carroll (UoM) • John Murphy and Jane Peck (CTP)

2. Overview of the Programme • Questions: • What do young people want from information and communication technology? • Why do they adopt some technologies but reject others? • What roles do mobile technologies play in their lives as they move from childhood toward the adult world?

3. Overview of the Programme • Theoretical perspective • Social constructionism • Research Methodology • Empirical • Situated and non-situated • Outputs so far • Variables heeded during the earliest stages of technology use • Process of ‘appropriation’ • Non-appropriation, appropriation and disappropriation.

4. Technology can do amazing things!

5. But is it a ‘wise’ purchase?

6. It can converge

7. And… converge

8. Toast: The Human-Weather Interface

9. History will find us out!

10. History will find us out!

11. Overview of the seminar 3 Story so far • Appropriation • Factors and examples • Issues and concerns 4 Next steps • Stage 3 • ARC 1 Background • CoF2000 • CTP and UoM relationship • Outcomes 2 CoF 2001 • Methods for Stage 1 and 2 • Rationale

12. 1. Background

13. Customers of the Future 2000 • Identify and understand the hot and emerging issues confronting today’s youth. • Identify and exchange ideas on how the needs of young people are being met by technology.

14. Customers of the Future 2000 Using a series of panels of respondents in both Melbourne and Sydney, studied young people and their attitudes towards the Internet and in particular studied them purchasing over the Internet. Discovered aspects such as: • security and trust of supplier • communication and feedback • reliable delivery • local versus international sites • strength of branding • navigation and usability issues

15. What’s in it for us? • CTP • Association with the The University of Melbourne, adding rigour and kudos, recognition to the program, the findings will be a useful ‘promotional’ tool for Cambridge. • UoM • Grounding in real world practice • Resource multiplication • Practitioner expertise • CTP and UoM • Following each stage of the study we will be producing press reports, and academic papers that will be made available to the public and particularly current or potential clients.

16. 2. Customers of the Future 2001

17. Customers of the Future 2001 • STAGE 1- CURRENT SITUATION • Completed • Benchmarking • Youth and technology • The role of ICT’s • STAGE 2- SLIGHTLY CHANGED SITUATION • Ongoing • Appropriation ‘in focus’ • STAGE 3- INVENTING THE FUTURE • Pending • Form and function of next generation ICT’s

18. Research Methodology • Combination of methods from various disciplines • Focus groups, questionnaires, participant observation, on-line diaries and scrapbooks • Moving beyond the organisational context • Triangulate young people’s opinions, experiences and recollections.

19. Data Collection Techniques Focus groups • 4 FG’s held, two each in Melbourne and Sydney. • Participants- access to a mobile phone, regular Internet use and a personal email address. • Melbourne- 8 young people of each gender aged 16 to 18 and 10 aged 19 to 22 • Sydney- 8 males aged 16 to 22 and 8 females aged 16 to 22. • Issues- current use of mobile technologies, how they learned to use them and how they updated their knowledge of them and their attitudes to, and perceptions of, these technologies. • Recollections of their own use of mobile technologies and their interpretations of use of mobile technologies by individuals and groups of young people.

20. Data Collection Techniques Questionnaires • Ss completed a questionnaire covering • demographic information • mobile phone access • mobile payment scheme • use of SMS • description of their ‘favourite’ piece of technology.

21. Data Collection Techniques Scrap books • Empty ‘scrapbook’ and a disposable camera with built in flash. • ‘Paint a picture in your own words and visual associations of mobile technologies, what they mean to you and how they relate to your everyday life’. • Minimum- develop the photographs and place them in the scrapbook with a caption • Ideally include pictures cut from magazines, stories and poetry about technology and anecdotes of mobile technologies and their place in participants’ lives. • Aim- provide an alternative way to access the participants’ perceptions of, understanding of and attitudes to mobile technologies. • Also sensitised the participants to the role of technology in their lives. A female participant commented: • “you can’t live without it, everything relies on technology. Doing the scrapbook made me realise how important technology is.”

22. Data Collection Techniques Participant observation/Contextual Enquiry • Participant observation allowed in-depth observation of natural settings over time • But- intermittent or difficult-to-observe phenomena (hence e.g. Focus Groups) • Six participants were observed in different activities (leisure, social and educational) and in different contexts. • Researcher participated as an outsider in the activities, asking questions to clarify the participants’ actions and motives (see also Holtzblatt and Beyer 1993). • Outcome is the researcher’s interpretation of the use and role of mobile technologies in the lives of the young people.

23. Data Collection Techniques Online diaries • Participants completed an online diary of their use of mobile technologies for two days of the week for three weeks. • Provide a ‘factual’ record of participants’ use of mobile technologies including the time, place and description of the use. • Complemented observation • use of mobile technologies was irregular • occurred at times where observation was not feasible • Affected by ‘communication gaps’ resulting from differences in the age and culture of the young people and the researcher may occur (de Laine 1997).

24. Data Collection Techniques • After 9 weeks • Second focus group • Returned scrapbooks and explained the contents to the researchers and the rest of their group. • The diaries and observation, along with the findings from the first focus group and the scrapbooks, were used as inputs to trigger discussion in the second group.

25. Objectives of Stage 1- Current Situation • To gain an understanding of how ICT’s fit into the lives of today’s youth (16 to 22year olds) . • What changes have they brought about in the lives of today’s youth? • How do they use them? • What are their attitudes towards and perceptions of Information and Communication Technologies?

26. Objectives of Stage 2- Slightly Changed Situation • Appropriation ‘in focus’ • Short term changes • How and what do they use? • What are their attitudes towards WAP phones and capabilities

27. Objectives of Stage 2- Slightly Changed Situation • Internet enabled phone to use for 1 month. • Donated by Kyocera, a new company trying to establish themselves on the Australian market. • We will cover questions of particular interest to them, in the use of the phones. The airtime is being given by Telstra

28. Objectives of Stage 2- Slightly Changed Situation • Focus Groups • Hand out the phones • Record the initial discovery process using verbal protocol methods • Record the initial expectations • Participant observation • Diaries- using their itemised phone bills to study ‘outgoing’ use • Expert Panel – brainstorming session- to see Stage 3

29. 3. The Story so Far • Appropriation • Factors and examples • Issues and concerns

30. Focus on appropriation • Very early, it became clear that young people use ICTs for more than information gathering and communication • We proposed a model of technology appropriation: • Young people take possession of a technology and shape its use to their own purposes and needs

31. Process of appropriation Technology -in-use Technology -as-designed

32. Appropriation: transforming technology • Technology-as-designed • Technology as designed, developed and delivered to the market and users • Technology-in-use • Stabilised technology, embedded in young people’s everyday lives • Process of Appropriation • The process of trying out a technology, adapting or shaping it to the individual’s or group’s needs and then incorporating it as a routine part of their lives

33. Three possible options We conjectured that, faced with a new technology, a user may take one of three options: • A lack of interest and thus Non-appropriation occurs. Alternatively, users may perceive interesting possibilities and so they enter a Process of Appropriation where the technology is explored, evaluated and either: • Rejectedand thus Disappropriation occurs or • Adopted and thus Appropriation occurs.

34. Disappropriation Non-appropriation Process of appropriation Appropriation Technology -in-use Technology -as-designed

35. Our observations (1) • Some initial evaluation or filtering • incremental refinement or frame-breaking innovation? • our stuff or their stuff? • attractors • Decide to ‘play’ with the technology • explore, evaluate, adapt or reject => appropriation or disappropriation criteria

36. Appropriation and disappropriation criteria Disappropriation Non- appropriation Process of appropriation Appropriation Filter Technology -in-use Attractors Technology -as-designed

37. Our observations (2) Use over time may lead to persistent or routine use: • As a result, the technology is embedded in young people’s everyday lives • This embedding may be conditional and require ongoing reinforcement • Change in reinforcers or the introduction of new technologies that support young people’s lives more closely may result in disappropriation.

38. Appropriation and disappropriation criteria Disappropriation Non- appropriation Process of appropriation Reinforcers Appropriation Filter Attractors Technology -in-use Technology -as-designed

39. Our observations (3) • The dynamics of different social, cultural, national and gender groups may result in different processes of appropriation • Therefore, multiple technologies-in-use may be observed

40. Appropriation and disappropriation criteria Disappropriation Non- appropriation Process of appropriation Reinforcers Appropriation Filter Technology -in-use Attractors Technology -as-designed

41. Factors and examples • Studying young people’s actions in context: qualitative data was used to build theory • Themes emerged from the data over time – the analysis is ongoing. • Issues or factors that influence each step of young people’s appropriation of technology were noted

42. Attractors Lifestyle rather than task-driven decisions • Convenience: “I like to speak to anyone else at any particular time I choose to” Mobiles are “convenient, easy to use and versatile” • Usefulness: “My mobile is my life, I would be lost without it. It is very convenient and useful” “Mobiles are a necessity, not just for kids but for everyone.” • Fashion/style: “You want something that looks good.” “I don’t want to be seen with a crap phone.”

43. Attractors (2) • Adaptability: can be tailored to the individual’s or group’s needs e.g. ring tones • Familiarity: incremental or radical change • ‘Our stuff’: mobiles, chat, SMS. Parents are scared of new technology but “we’ve used it since we were little.” “They ask ‘What do I do next?’ As soon as they’re alone with it, you just know that they’re going to stuff it up.” “We are not scared to make mistakes.”

45. Appropriation criteria • Social management: “Meet here.” “It is the only way to contact friends.” “A mobile phone builds friendships because you can talk to them more… It’s more personal because it is you being called not your home.” • Lifestyle organiser: “It’s my diary, I store everything in my phone.” “I store all my numbers, reminders there and so it has become easier to make plans” • Critical mass: “Everyone has one [a mobile phone].” It is “a pre-requisite for a social life.”

46. Appropriation criteria (2) • Leisure: “It eases my boredom – waiting for someone all by myself, so I can pull out my phone.” “You just ring people if you want to talk, really bored and want something to do, get off the TV and talk to people.” • Safety and security: “My mobile … makes me feel more secure when I’m out, so I know if I get lost or in trouble I can call for help.” “My Mum gets paranoid so I have to ring her when I’m there.” “24X7 access.. It is important to have that security.” • Contact: “I use my phone .. To contact many people for work, business, leisure etc.” “Dad, come and pick me up.”

47. Ode to mobile phones Oh, mobile phone, I am all alone, Where are you?

49. Disappropriation criteria Negative perceptions do not appear to affect young people’s use of ICTs: “You get used to the problems of technology – you work around them.” • Hidden cost: “You don’t realise how much SMS costs. You think it’s only 20 cents a message but it does cost a lot of money eventually.” “It’s addictive, like drugs” • Health: “The health implications of using a mobile phone every single day. If you use it too much, you’re exposed to radiation.” [Does it affect your use?] “Yeh… It tries, but I can’t, I just talk too much. I should get off because I keep thinking that my ear’s getting warm but then, my conversation is too important.” • Reception: poor reception and problems with plans. • Difficulty of learning: “It’s easy, once you get the hang of it.” Many participants taught parents and grandparents how to use ICTs. • Usability: size of buttons for SMS

50. Higher-order reinforcers Pervasive use may be conditional on ongoing reinforcement: • Identity and a sense of belonging: “I feel kind of naked without my phone.” “It gives you an identity: this is who I am, this is my number.” • Power over parents, teachers and other young people “My Mum calls when I’m out drinking. Let it go and SMS her.” “If you’re bored in class then you SMS across the room: “I’m really bored’.” “People you don’t like, you can have a certain ring tone so you know as soon as it rings that you don’t want to answer it.” • Cohesion in the face of fragmentation: • distinct work, educational, social & personal groups