Researching co-viewing on social media and instant messaging applications: ethics and challenges

This article discusses the ethical concerns and challenges that should be considered while studying the practice of co-viewing on social media and instant messaging applications. Co-viewing practices refer to the intertwined activities that happen while viewers sit together in front of a TV set, watching and making meaning from television content. Connected platforms amplify the possibilities for co-viewing, by allowing people to experience a digital co-presence. Users that engaged in connected co-viewing in unofficial Facebook and WhatsApp groups dedicated to the brazilian telenovela Babilônia (airing in 2015) are used to exemplify the need to establish informed consent and avoid harming the participants when carrying out research online. The research reveals that ethical decision-making with respect to users’ data and viewpoints had to be considered, not only at the beginning stages of research, but assessed and considered throughout each step of the study

Coping with the inheritance of COVID-19: the role of new interactive technologies to enhance user experience in different contexts of use

The COVID-19 pandemic has upset the habits of people and various sectors of society, including training, entertainment, and retail. These sectors have been forced to adapt to abnormal situations such as social distancing, remote work, and online entertainment. The pandemic has significantly transformed the training field, leading to the closure of many in-person instruction centers and a shift toward online education courses, which can be less effective. In addition, the entertainment industry has been heavily transformed by social distancing, resulting in the cancellation of many live events and the closure of several cinemas. This has increased demand for online entertainment options, such as streaming services and virtual events. Finally, the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacted physical stores and fairs, suspending exhibitions for more than two years. This has further driven consumers to rely on e-commerce to fulfill their purchasing and companies to increasingly take advantage of new technologies such as augmented reality. In this suddenly disrupted scenario, new technologies have the potential to fill the gap generated by the pandemic, functioning as an interactive bridge to connect people. This Ph.D. thesis explored the potential of interactive technologies in mitigating the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in various contexts of use in the above-mentioned areas. Specifically, three lines of research were investigated by conducting different studies using a mixed approach in the Human-Computer Interaction field. The first research line focused on the study of immersive virtual reality training, with a particular interest in flood emergencies, a growing phenomenon. The goal was to implement engaging and efficient training for citizens that live near rivers through a human-centric design approach. The second line of research explored innovative ways to improve social interaction and collaboration in the entertainment sector, highlighting guidelines for the design of shared streaming experiences. In particular, three different communication modalities were studied during group viewing of an interactive film on a streaming platform. Finally, the third research line focused on the retail sector. On the one hand, the focus consisted of understanding which aspects of the 3D web and AR technology are helpful for supporting small businesses and trade fairs. On the other hand, the focus was to investigate how to support consumers during an AR shopping experience when interacting with 3D virtual products of different sizes. Overall, this project provides suggestions and guidelines for designing systems that can both increasingly connect people at a distance and offer new hybrid worlds. In addition, this project expands state-of-the-art related to interactive technologies and offers generalizable results outside the crisis created by COVID-19. These technologies, now increasingly integrated into everyday life, can be a tool for empowerment and resilience, improving people's lives.The COVID-19 pandemic has upset the habits of people and various sectors of society, including training, entertainment, and retail. These sectors have been forced to adapt to abnormal situations such as social distancing, remote work, and online entertainment. The pandemic has significantly transformed the training field, leading to the closure of many in-person instruction centers and a shift toward online education courses, which can be less effective. In addition, the entertainment industry has been heavily transformed by social distancing, resulting in the cancellation of many live events and the closure of several cinemas. This has increased demand for online entertainment options, such as streaming services and virtual events. Finally, the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacted physical stores and fairs, suspending exhibitions for more than two years. This has further driven consumers to rely on e-commerce to fulfill their purchasing and companies to increasingly take advantage of new technologies such as augmented reality. In this suddenly disrupted scenario, new technologies have the potential to fill the gap generated by the pandemic, functioning as an interactive bridge to connect people. This Ph.D. thesis explored the potential of interactive technologies in mitigating the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in various contexts of use in the above-mentioned areas. Specifically, three lines of research were investigated by conducting different studies using a mixed approach in the Human-Computer Interaction field. The first research line focused on the study of immersive virtual reality training, with a particular interest in flood emergencies, a growing phenomenon. The goal was to implement engaging and efficient training for citizens that live near rivers through a human-centric design approach. The second line of research explored innovative ways to improve social interaction and collaboration in the entertainment sector, highlighting guidelines for the design of shared streaming experiences. In particular, three different communication modalities were studied during group viewing of an interactive film on a streaming platform. Finally, the third research line focused on the retail sector. On the one hand, the focus consisted of understanding which aspects of the 3D web and AR technology are helpful for supporting small businesses and trade fairs. On the other hand, the focus was to investigate how to support consumers during an AR shopping experience when interacting with 3D virtual products of different sizes. Overall, this project provides suggestions and guidelines for designing systems that can both increasingly connect people at a distance and offer new hybrid worlds. In addition, this project expands state-of-the-art related to interactive technologies and offers generalizable results outside the crisis created by COVID-19. These technologies, now increasingly integrated into everyday life, can be a tool for empowerment and resilience, improving people's lives

Design and Evaluation of a Playful Mobile Application to Facilitate Group Interaction

People are often involved in situations where they are required to interact with a group of strangers. The social interaction in these situations can be hindered by several factors, such as a person‟s shyness or inhibition, and the lack of common ground. In order to overcome these obstacles, various group activities known as ice-breaking or team-building activities, have been developed and put to use. Electronic mobile devices with networking capabilities like tablets and smartphones are nowadays used extensively in everyday life. One of their many use cases is to help people socialize, either by meeting new people or communicating with friends. Additionally, video games have been proven efficient in motivating people to socialize, either by inspiring players to form groups and communities over distance, or by facilitating interaction between collocated people. The main objective of this thesis is to design, implement and evaluate an ice-breaking activity for a group of strangers, utilizing the benefits of mobile technology and video games mentioned above. The result was a quiz-based, multi-player, mobile game called Who‟s Next, built for mobile devices that run the Android operating system. The Wi-Fi Direct framework was used to establish connection and data exchange between the devices. The thesis was written within the borders of the Human-Technology Interaction research field, using the User-Centered Design methodology. Thus, the thesis begins with a theoretical study on video games and their social impact, and the different social relationships and groups between people. Next, a description of traditional ice-breaking activities and their characteristics is presented. Moreover, previous attempts to utilize technology -and mobile devices in particular- in such activities are explored. To evaluate the effects of the game as an ice-breaker, a user study with six group sessions of 4 to 5 participants were conducted. The participants‟ behaviour during the sessions, as well as their feedback given in an interview afterwards, were examined and analyzed to form conclusions about the appropriateness of the game and the players‟ overall user experience. According to the results, Who‟s Next was found to be an engaging application that encourages social interaction in a group, and which helps strangers get to know each other. Most participants found it preferable to other ice-breaking activities, since it provided more a comfortable way to share their personal information with a group

Design and Evaluation of a Playful Mobile Application to Facilitate Group Interaction

People are often involved in situations where they are required to interact with a group of strangers. The social interaction in these situations can be hindered by several factors, such as a person‟s shyness or inhibition, and the lack of common ground. In order to overcome these obstacles, various group activities known as ice-breaking or team-building activities, have been developed and put to use. Electronic mobile devices with networking capabilities like tablets and smartphones are nowadays used extensively in everyday life. One of their many use cases is to help people socialize, either by meeting new people or communicating with friends. Additionally, video games have been proven efficient in motivating people to socialize, either by inspiring players to form groups and communities over distance, or by facilitating interaction between collocated people. The main objective of this thesis is to design, implement and evaluate an ice-breaking activity for a group of strangers, utilizing the benefits of mobile technology and video games mentioned above. The result was a quiz-based, multi-player, mobile game called Who‟s Next, built for mobile devices that run the Android operating system. The Wi-Fi Direct framework was used to establish connection and data exchange between the devices. The thesis was written within the borders of the Human-Technology Interaction research field, using the User-Centered Design methodology. Thus, the thesis begins with a theoretical study on video games and their social impact, and the different social relationships and groups between people. Next, a description of traditional ice-breaking activities and their characteristics is presented. Moreover, previous attempts to utilize technology -and mobile devices in particular- in such activities are explored. To evaluate the effects of the game as an ice-breaker, a user study with six group sessions of 4 to 5 participants were conducted. The participants‟ behaviour during the sessions, as well as their feedback given in an interview afterwards, were examined and analyzed to form conclusions about the appropriateness of the game and the players‟ overall user experience. According to the results, Who‟s Next was found to be an engaging application that encourages social interaction in a group, and which helps strangers get to know each other. Most participants found it preferable to other ice-breaking activities, since it provided more a comfortable way to share their personal information with a group

Supporting Relationships with Video Chat

Video chat is often called the “closest thing to being there”, but anyone who has used video chat to maintain personal relationships or collaborate with others knows that video chat is not the same as face-to-face interaction. In this thesis, I focus on understanding how video chat can be most effectively designed and used to support relationships, helping to bridge the communication gap for distance separated people. An important difference between video chat and face-to-face interaction is potential effects of seeing oneself. In this thesis, I present two studies exploring this important caveat to supporting relationships remotely. The first study shows that the dominant interface design (which shows one’s own video feed) has measurable effects on people’s experiences and conversations in VMC. The second study focuses on a specific group of people—those with social anxiety—who may be particularly affected by self-view in video chat interfaces. This study shows that interfaces that focus on content (much like the media sharing system presented in this thesis) have the potential to minimize effects of feedback in video chat. Another key difference between video chat and face-to-face interaction is the difficulty of engaging in shared activities. Colocated friends or family members can easily share activities such as walks, movies, or board games; distance separated people have a much harder time doing the same. The work presented in this thesis introduces a synchronous media sharing system that can serve as a powerful tool for maintaining relationships. Building on this work, I show that synchronous media sharing is also useful for creating new relationships as well. Together, the system and studies presented in this thesis provide valuable new insights and techniques for the development of video chat tools that support new and sustained relationships over a distance

La planificación de medios y la fragmentación de audiencias. Incidencia de la televisión a la carta en la evolución del Prime Time en España

L'objectiu fonamental de la present tesi doctoral és analitzar l'impacte de la televisió a la carta en les audiències del prime time a Espanya i, per extensió, a la planificació de mitjans. L'aparició de diferents cadenes de televisió al llarg dels últims anys ha suposat una fragmentació de les audiències en funció de l'oferta televisiva i dels gustos particulars de cada individu entre l'audiència, que ha arribat a la màxima expressió des del moment en què els espectadors poden triar el contingut que desitgin, en el moment que prefereixin. El catalitzador d'aquesta evolució en el consum de la televisió és la tecnologia en general i internet en concret, que de forma conjunta ofereixen els dispositius necessaris perquè el consumidor de contingut audiovisual pugui accedir a ells de la forma més ràpida i còmoda. La rellevància d'aquesta recerca per a la planificació de mitjans resideix que aquesta és una de les fases ja no només més importants del procés publicitari, sinó a la qual es destina la major part del pressupost d'una campanya publicitària, i les audiències representen, per a la majoria de les cadenes actuals, la seva principal font d'ingrés. La recerca es recolza en importants elements quantitatius com l'anàlisi de les audiències aconseguides pels principals programes en la televisió a Espanya entre els anys 2002 i 2016, i es complementa amb valoracions qualitatives rellevants que inclou les aportacions de professionals que representen a les principals empreses del sector.El objetivo fundamental de la presente tesis doctoral es analizar el impacto de la televisión a la carta en las audiencias del prime time en España y, por extensión, en la planificación de medios. La aparición de distintas cadenas de televisión a lo largo de los últimos años ha supuesto una fragmentación de las audiencias en función de la oferta televisiva y de los gustos particulares de cada individuo entre la audiencia, que ha llegado a la máxima expresión desde el momento en que los espectadores pueden elegir el contenido que deseen, en el momento que prefieran. El catalizador de esta evolución en el consumo de la televisión es la tecnología en general e internet en concreto, que de forma conjunta ofrecen los dispositivos necesarios para que el consumidor de contenido audiovisual pueda acceder a ellos de la forma más rápida y cómoda. La relevancia de esta investigación para la planificación de medios reside en que ésta es una de las fases ya no sólo más importantes del proceso publicitario, sino a la que se destina la mayor parte del presupuesto de una campaña publicitaria, y las audiencias representan, para la mayoría de las cadenas actuales, su principal fuente de ingreso. La investigación se apoya en importantes elementos cuantitativos como el análisis de las audiencias conseguidas por los principales programas en la televisión en España entre los años 2002 y 2016, y se complementa con valoraciones cualitativas relevantes que incluye las aportaciones de profesionales que representan a las principales empresas del sector.The main objective of this doctoral thesis is to analyze the impact of the video on demand in the prime time’s audiences in Spain and, by extension, in the media planning. The appearance of different television channels over the last few years has led to a fragmentation of the audience in terms of the television offer and the particular interests of each individual among the audience, which has reached the maximum expression since the moment that the viewers can choose the content that they want, whenever they prefer. The catalyst for this evolution in the television consumption is the technology in general and internet in particular, which together offer the necessary devices so that the consumer of audiovisual content can access them in the fastest and most comfortable way. The relevance of this research for media planning is that it is one of the stages not only more important in the advertising process, but also the one that allocates most of the budget of an advertising campaign, and the audiences represent, for most of the current channels, its main source of income. The research is supported by important quantitative elements such as the analysis of the audiences obtained by the main television programs in Spain between the years 2002 and 2016, and it is complemented with relevant qualitative evaluations that include the contributions of professionals who represent the main companies of the sector

Supporting collocated and at-a-distance experiences with TV and VR displays

Televisions (TVs) and VR Head-Mounted Displays (VR HMDs) are used in shared and social spaces in the home. This thesis posits that these displays do not sufficiently reflect the collocated, social contexts in which they reside, nor do they sufficiently support shared experiences at-a-distance. This thesis explores how the role of TVs and VR HMDs can go beyond presenting a single entertainment experience, instead supporting social and shared use in both collocated and at-a-distance contexts. For collocated TV, this thesis demonstrates that the TV can be augmented to facilitate multi-user interaction, support shared and independent activities and multi-user use through multi-view display technology, and provide awareness of the multi-screen activity of those in the room, allowing the TV to reflect the social context in which it resides. For at-a-distance TV, existing smart TVs are shown to be capable of supporting synchronous at-a-distance activity, broadening the scope of media consumption beyond the four walls of the home. For VR HMDs, collocated proximate persons can be seamlessly brought into mixed reality VR experiences based on engagement, improving VR HMD usability. Applied to at-a-distance interactions, these shared mixed reality VR experiences can enable more immersive social experiences that approximate viewing together as if in person, compared to at-a-distance TV. Through an examination of TVs and VR HMDs, this thesis demonstrates that consumer display technology can better support users to interact, and share experiences and activities, with those they are close to

A study on interpersonal relationships for social interactive television

This paper presents an explorative study investigating the social video watching experience. We particularly investigate the role of interpersonal relationships on social interaction while watching and its link to video genres. The results reveal that the desired relationship for social interactions around video content does not solely depend on strong relationship between viewers. Moreover, program genre plays an important role on social structure preferences for watching television as a shared activity. These results can have considerable impact on designing social interactive television systems to enhance social interactions between remote viewers

A study on interpersonal relationships for social interactive television

This paper presents an explorative study investigating the social video watching experience. We particularly investigate the role of interpersonal relationships on social interaction while watching and its link to video genres. The results reveal that the desired relationship for social interactions around video content does not solely depend on strong relationship between viewers. Moreover, program genre plays an important role on social structure preferences for watching television as a shared activity. These results can have considerable impact on designing social interactive television systems to enhance social interactions between remote viewers.status: publishe