The evolution of energy requirements of smartphones based on user behaviour and implications of the COVID-19 era

Smartphones have evolved to become frequent companions to humans. The common problem shared by Android users of smartphones was, and continues to be, about saving their batteries and preventing the need to use any recharging tools. A significant number of studies have been performed in the general field of "saving energy in smartphones". During a state of global lockdown, the use of smartphone devices has skyrocketed, and many governments have implemented location-tracking applications for their citizens as means of ensuring that the imposed governmental restrictions are being adhered to. Since smartphones are battery-powered, the opportunity to conserve electricity and ensure that the handset does not have to be charged so much or that it does not die and impede location-tracking during this period of crisis is of vital significance, impacting not only the reliability of tracking, but also the usability of the mobile itself. While there are methods to reduce the battery’s drain from mobile app use, they are not fully utilized by users. Simultaneously, the following the manuscript demonstrates the growing prevalence of mobile applications in daily lives, as well as the disproportionally increasing phone functionality, which results in the creation of a dependency towards smartphone use and the need of energy to recharge and operate theses smartphones

Mobile Apps: Motivational Influencers

Today’s mobile device users demand mobile apps in order to maintain online social ties, to remain up-to-date with weather and new events, to be entertained, and to be productive in their professional and personal lives, no matter where they are. This emergent research study examines the perceptions of individuals regarding the motivational power of mobile apps post-adoption. A survey of college-age individuals is being performed beginning the spring of 2017, and among the findings expected is a positive confirmation that mobile apps are motivational influencers toward education, entertainment, communication, social, and other purposes

Global Examples of Methods and Tools for Supporting and Incentivising Self-Isolation at Home

With COVID-19 lockdown measures easing across the UK, there is still a need for people to practice social distancing measures and in some cases, self-isolation at home. This flash report investigates how other countries have supported people to isolate effectively and explores the types of incentive schemes that are being set up round the world to promote compliance with self-isolation, or ways in which positive behaviours are rewarded. The report was prepared by the DHI in the third week of May 2020, however by the time it is published, the situation will have developed further

Digital Detox – Mitigating Digital Overuse in Times of Remote Work and Social Isolation

Remote work arrangements and limited recreational options in times of social isolation increase the risk of digital overuse for individuals. Its consequences can range from impaired mental health to issues of technology addiction. A conformant countermovement has popularised “digital detoxing”, a practice that endorses to deliberately limit technology use to reduce digital involvement and physiological stress. In times of social isolation, however, digital networking may provide the principle access to social interactions. To provide empirical evidence about the sweet spot between mitigating digital overuse and perceived social connectedness, this paper proposes a mixed-methods design to scrutinise the impact of digital detox measures in a professional context. Possible results will help to better understand how digital overuse may effectively be mitigated by remote workers and what measures organisations can take to create a digital environment that supports employee satisfaction and mental health

65+ Membership Scheme

This report shares the journey of three partners' experiment with digital technology to address societal challenges linked to ageing and social isolation. In recent years artsdepot has seen enormous changes to its business model driven by the advance of digital communication tools, rapidly increasing use of social media, and changing consumer behaviours. The project team felt that digital innovation was typically aimed at the young but wondered if there was greater potential to increase attendance and sales while also addressing social isolation through creating digital innovations with older people. A range of partners worked on the project: artsdepot (arts partner and project lead) is a multi-art form venue based in North Finchley welcoming 130,000 audience members annually. DigiLab (research partner) is an R&D laboratory based at London College of Communication, University of the Arts London. Ingelby (tech partner) is a digital agency specialising in app building and mobile app development, as well as mobile website design , e-commerce development , customised CRM systems and creative digital media. This project aimed to explore digital technologies that could help create increased levels of arts attendance among older people by identifying barriers and designing digital solutions. artsdepot felt that by enabling increased arts attendance and therefore facilitating opportunities to socialise, they might help establish new friendships while providing enriching creative experiences. Additionally, the team felt there was an additional benefit in terms of demonstrating an economic model for engaging older audiences. Having learnt in the application phase that two thirds of older people have more disposable income than any other age group, artsdepot felt that if it could address other barriers to attendance, it could also improve ticket sales and build a case for increased focus on older audiences

Friendship and courtship in the era of smartphone: experience from youths in higher learning institutions in Dodoma Municipality Tanzania

Purpose: As technological advancement in terms of digital communication is increased, the use of smartphones among individuals as a source of information and community practices also increased. The study examined the role of the smartphone in building friendships and courtships among youth in public academic institutions in Dodoma Municipality.Design/ Methodology/ Approach: The study used mixed methods including surveys and interviews to understand the way youths utilise smartphones in building friendships and courtship. Descriptive and content data analysis were used to analyse the data.Findings: The findings revealed that smartphone has significantly enabled youth to access valuable information about their intimate friends and courting partners. It also revealed that functions provided by smartphone enabled youth to keep their partners closer by utilising social media networks.Research Limitation: The study focused only on youths in Higher Learning Institutions in Dodoma City, Tanzania thus limiting generalisations.Practical implications: The study recommends the need for a policy that protects personal information shared through a smartphone for the wellbeing of youths and society’s digital practices.Social implications: The personal data protection policy will help to protect the privacy rights of youths and all members of the community in general, against any possible abuse which has gained unprecedented attention, especially in the current information age.Originality/ Value: The study will contribute to improving policy decisions to protect the current digital generation against the violation of personal data shared via digital communication

Fundamental challenges in designing a collaborative travel app

The growing capabilities of smartphones have opened up new opportunities for travel coordination and transport is a fertile area for app development. One stream of development is apps that enable collaborative travel, either in the form of lift sharing or collaborative shopping, but despite growing interest from governmental agencies, there is little evidence of the efficacy of such apps. Based on trials of purpose built travel collaboration apps, deployed in tourism, urban and rural residential communities, and logistics, this paper analyses the fundamental challenges facing users adopting such travel apps. The findings suggest that transport practitioners, policy makers and app developers need to better understand the challenges associated with attracting users, the use of incentives and the types of communities most appropriate to implement collaborative travel concepts using such approaches. Also, how the users’ sense of time pressure and the issues around reciprocal exchange can impact on their long-term success and wider adoption

Second action plan 2013-2016 – moving ahead – of the national plan to reduce violence against women and their children 2010-2022

All Australian governments are strongly committed to reducing the alarming rates of violence against women and their children in this country. Commonwealth, state and territory governments are working together, with the community to implement the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 (the National Plan). The National Plan is a 12-year strategy with a vision that Australian women and their children live free from violence in safe communities. This is the Second Action Plan of the National Plan. It runs from 2013 to 2016 and contains 26 practical actions that all governments agree are critical if we are to move ahead in improving women’s safety. The First Action Plan laid a strong foundation for the changes we want to see in the future by establishing essential national infrastructure and innovative services. The Second Action Plan will build on this by increasing community involvement in actions that will prevent the violent crimes of domestic and family violence and sexual assault. It will focus on women and communities that have diverse experiences of violence, on strengthening and integrating services and systems, and on improving responses to perpetrators across the country. Governments will also continue to work together to build and improve the evidence base around violence against women and their children, and to bring together and disseminate research that can inform policy and practice. Reducing violence against women and their children is a community issue - it needs effort from us all. Living free from violence is everyone’s right, and reducing violence is everyone’s responsibility.&nbsp

Loneliness unlocked: Associations with smartphone use and personality

Communication and relationships have been dramatically altered among emerging adults thanks to the rapid adoption of the smartphone in just over a decade. Studying the effects of evolving personal technology helps researchers understand both the detriments of widespread adoption and the benefits that accompany the technology. One such area of concern is the relationship of technology with loneliness. Emerging adulthood is described as the period of transition from adolescence to adulthood, taking place from age 18–25. This period is characterized by change, exploration, but also a vulnerability to psychological distress. Young adults are not only at greater risk of loneliness compared to other developmental stages, but report greater distress about being lonely (Rokach, 2000). Previous research has found support for the hypothesis that use of social communication on the Internet has a bidirectional relationship with loneliness (Nowland et al., 2018); use of the Internet can support relationships and decrease loneliness, but if used as a compensation for social skill deficits, the Internet can also displace quality time spent in relationships, and thereby increase loneliness. This study examines loneliness and its relationship with smartphone use, while also accounting for individual differences in facets of neuroticism, communication apprehension, emotional support, and nomophobia for emerging adults. Participants (N = 302; MAGE = 18.85) completed self-report measures of loneliness and the individual differences variables. They also reported average daily smartphone data of screen time, pickups, and application (app) use, which was measured by their personal devices. Correlations indicated loneliness was positively associated with screen time, social media app use, neuroticism, social recognition, communication anxiety, and nomophobia. Loneliness was negatively associated with smartphone pickups, communication application use, need for affiliation, and emotional support. A regression analysis revealed that neuroticism, need for affiliation, social recognition, emotional support, and smartphone pickups were significant predictors of loneliness, when taking into account all the individual difference and smartphone use variables. Neuroticism and loneliness have a strong relationship, but a hierarchical regression showed that over and above neuroticism and its facets, smartphone screen time and pickups predict loneliness. Overall, the results for this sample of emerging adults supported the hypotheses by Nowland et al. (2018) about social use of the Internet, but applied to smartphone use. More time spent on one\u27s smartphone and on social media apps is related to increased loneliness, and is discussed in context of identity development. More frequent use (pickups) and use of communication apps is related to decreased loneliness and is discussed with respect to development of relationship intimacy. These results suggest that loneliness in young adults is related to different types of smartphone use, even when accounting for stable characteristics such as personality. Finally, neuroticism remains a significant variable in understanding loneliness, and further examination of lower-order facets help define a more nuanced profile in individual differences

Smartphones Adoption and Usage of 50+ Adults in the United Kingdom

This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in Jyoti Choudrie, Sherah Kurnia, and Panayiota Tsatsou, eds., Social Inclusion and Usability of ICT-enabled Services, on October 2017, available online at: https://www.routledge.com/Social-Inclusion-and-Usability-of-ICT-enabled-Services/Choudrie-Kurnia-Tsatsou/p/book/9781138935556. Under embargo until 30 April 2019.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio