Night shifts
Catherine Howell, Matthew Arnold · 2008
The use of domestic information and communications technologies during the evenings and at nighttime is growing, yet this emergent phenomenon remains under-studied. In order to design effectively for night-time use, there is a need to understand the spatial and behavioural contexts for technology use 'after hours'. This paper describes the role of networked technologies and technological devices in the evening time-use patterns of undergraduate and postgraduate students at a research-intensive UK university. Using data obtained from two Experience Sampling Method studies, it shows how technology use permeates the flow of students' evening routines, enabling multitasking and the maintenance of social presence alongside the performance of study-related tasks. Affective dimensions of technology use in student rooms during evening hours are highlighted, and implications for the design of networked devices and information and communications services are described.