Exploring Communal Technology Use in the Home

Abstract

Vacuum cleaners, dish washers, and computers have had a lasting impact on ordinary life, and the last wave of ubiquitous technology, smart home technology, once again alters social order and practices in the home. Increasingly pervasive and internet-connected, domestic technology has become a community concern. Communal use of technology poses complex challenges for research and practice, requiring new approaches. Our investigation (36 interviews) of perceptions and considerations of communal device use illustrates how ordinary life evolves facing known and newly evolving challenges. We report four main themes around living with and sharing technology by relating aspects of technology considerations to different social groups. Using these insights, we illustrate participant considerations of personal characteristics, and discuss self-efficacy as a way to look at technology considerations, social groups, and personal characteristics. We outline in three ways how the concept of group-efficacy can help shape further investigation.