Title
Away and (Dis)connection: Reconsidering the Use of Digital Technologies in Light of Long-term Outdoor Activities
Abstract
We present a study of long-term outdoor activities, based on altogether 34 interviews with 19 participants. Our goal was not only to explore these enjoyable experiences, but more broadly to examine how technology use was recontextualized 'away' from the everyday. Outdoor activities are commonly presented as an escape from our technology-infused world. In contrast, our interviews reveal experiences that are heavily dependent on technology, both digital and not. However, digital technology - and in particular the mobile phone - is reconfigured when taken out of its ordinary, often urban and indoor, context. We first present a diversity of 'aways' during outdoor activities by depicting cherished freedoms and interpersonal preferences. We then describe how participants managed connection and disconnection while away and upon coming back. To conclude, we discuss how constructions of away can support more purposeful engagements with digital technology, and how pointed (dis)connection can be useful for technology design also in non-outdoor settings.
Year
DOI
Venue
2019
10.1145/3361111
Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction
Keywords
Field
DocType
away, disconnection, mobile phone, nature, non-use, outdoors
Telecommunications,Sociology
Journal
Volume
Issue
Citations 
3
GROUP
0
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.34
0
4
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Karey Helms101.35
Pedro Ferreira200.68
Barry Brown3143.03
Airi Lampinen437431.12