Slide1: IT and the Transforming of the Home (Life) Alladi Venkatesh (CRITO) University of California, Irvine (Project NOAH) http://www.crito.uci.edu/noah January 27, 2003


Slide2: IT in the Home:Major Projects Pre-Internet 1985-86 (NSF) Post Internet (1) 1998-2000 (NSF) (MTC – Sweden) Post Internet (2) 2001-2005 (NSF)


Slide3: Major Focus Home Applications/Uses Impacts on Home (Family) Life Children’s use of IT in the home Design Issues (Technologies for the Home) Wired Community (Ladera Ranch)


Slide4: Some Conceptual Issues


Slide5: Distinction Between Home Family


Slide6: Distinction Between Home As A Living Space Family As A Domestic Unit


Slide7: Home As A Living Space Home As An Activity Center Home As An Information Center Home As A Communication Center Home As An Entertainment Center Home As A Learning Center Home As A Shopping Center Home As A Work Center


Slide8: Family Structure Family Networks Roles (Size - Life Cycle) Home Time Space Resources Management (Activities) (Activities) (Consumption) Values Family/ Life Style Politics/Social Life Style Cultural (Attitudes/ Values Behaviors) (E.g. Children, Marriage, Work, Materialism etc Family As A Domestic Unit


Slide9: Research or Policy Question: Is IT Transforming the Home or Family or both? What are the Implications?


Slide10: Some Key Findings


Slide11: 1. The Technology Push


Slide12: Home Technology Evolution First Generation (1980s-Early 1990s) Pre-Internet Applications Word Processing Games Education Contexts Work (Employment) Education Entertainment Second Generation (Late 1990s) Internet On-line Banking and Finance On-line Shopping Information/News Home enertainment E-mail -(Communication Personal/Work) Home Mangement Web-based Research Education -(Home/School Learning) Third generation (2000 + ) Post-Internet Networking Home Automation Smart appliances Wireless Communication Artificial Intelligence Based Educational Tools Remote Access Technologies Simple Robotics


Slide13: Automated Home Security Smart Appliances and Thinking Machines Connectivity of Appliances Interactivity with Appliances


Slide14: 2. From The User’s Side


Slide15: Mid - 1980s Penetration of computers 12% households in the US 70% of the Home Use accounted for by men 70% of the home use was work related


Slide16: 1999-2000 Penetration of computers 60% of the h.holds in the US Male/Female Use Roughly equal Adult/Children use roughly equal Multiple uses (email, games, information, home management)


Slide17: Mean No of Computers at Home: 1.39 US Households Mean Hours of use per week: 14.00 hours Computer Applications: 6.7 Age of Computer in the Home: 5.2yrs Access to the Internet outside the home:65% HHs with computers with children: 45% No digital divide among middle to higher income groups


Slide18: 3. The Emergence of the Networked Home


Slide19: Networked Home External Networks Internal Networks Office Shopping Schools Social Family Friends Technology


Slide20: Internet Uses at Home USA Sweden Work Center 56% 61% Shopping Center 31% 28% Online Banking/Financial 39% 41% Communication Center 92% 87 % Information Center 76% 60% Home Management Center Financial Management 56% 42% Other 23% 19% Entertainment/Recreation Center Family Entertainment/Games 86% 84% Home Learning Center Adult Education 21% 11% Children’s Education 69% 58%


Slide21: 4. Key Perceptions


Slide22: Some Key Perceptions Computers are important tools of communication, information. Integral part of home life. Computers are essential but slightly less so than other domestic technologies (e.g.. Refrigerator, telephone, automobile etc). However, it is a different issue when it comes to children. Do not want to be left out. Need to stay current but there is also a need for balance and control High levels of frustration with the technology but does not deter use Women look at technologies more holistically


Slide23: 5. User Profile


Slide24: Variety Of Uses Rate of use High Low High Low Intense Users 30% Limited 30% Specialized 20% Experimental 19% User Typology


Slide25: Disadopters Users 90% Disadopters (10%)


Slide26: Characteristics of Intense Users Lead users (Drivers of Diffusion) Families with children Candidates for futuristic technologies Feel the highest impact Most optimistic view of technology


Slide27: 6. Transformational Issues


Slide28: Research or Policy Question: Is IT Transforming the Home or the Family or both? What are the Implications?


Slide29: Home As Living Space 1950s 2000+ *Home Management Center **Work Center **Entertainment Center ***Communication Center ***Information Center *Learning Center *Shopping Center Transformational Points


Slide30: Family Structure Family Networks Roles (Size - Life Cycle) Home Time Space Resources Management (Activities) (Activities) (Consumption) Values Family/ Life Style Politics/Social Life Style Cultural (Attitudes/ Values Behaviors) (E.g. Children, Marriage, Work, Materialism etc Family As A Domestic Unit Transformation of the Family is said to occur when several elements of the family undergo major changes


Slide31: Transformation Issues IT seems to have a significant role in transforming the Home Life (e.g. the emergence of the Networked home and the various centers ) IT plays a lesser role in transforming the Family as a domestic unit. The family is certainly changing, independent of technology Not all household users are the same. The intense users seem to exhibit a greater transformation potential. An emerging generation of IT users, Children From computerization of the home to domestication of the computer


Slide32: Opportunities for the Industry: Delivering home-based services via the Internet – not more technology


Slide33: Policy Issues Explore home as a combination of Learning/Communication/Information Centers Develop an infrastructure for delivery home-based services via the Internet Provide incentives for home-based training and home-based learning Study the Intense users for greater insights Provide access, resources, skills especially for the less fortunate and accelerate technology based learning at home. Develop a society of well-informed citizenry All of this may have a positive impact on the national employment and job scene in the long run.


Slide34: Home Informatics Conference HOIT 2003 April 6-8, 2003 CRITO UC Irvine Finally……