Private status sharing and sender-controlled notification system for mobile messengers

Abstract

While mobile instant messaging (MIM) facilitates ubiquitous interpersonal communication, its constant connectivity builds the expectation of immediate response to messages, and the flood of MIM notifications could cause interruptions at inopportune moments. We examine two design concepts for MIM, private status sharing and sender-controlled notifications, which aim to lower the pressure for immediate reply and reduce unnecessary interruptions by untimely notifications. Private status sharing reactively shares a customized status with selected partner(s) only when the partner has sent a mobile instant message. Sender-controlled notifications gives senders the control of the notification timing of their own messages to decide whether to alert the receiver of their MIM message. We built MyButler, an Android app prototype that instantiates these two concepts and integrated it with KakaoTalk, a commercial MIM app. During a two-week field study with 11 pairs (5 couples and 6 friends), participants updated the status for sharing 2.51 times a day on average per user

they made a total of 2,922 Alert Now and 994 Don't Alert choices over two weeks. Based on the usage log and retrospective interview data, we present our findings on the types of privately shared statuses and their roles in MIM communication

the in-situ behaviors and patterns of using sender-controlled notifications

and the motivations of MIM users in choosing to alert or not alert for their messages. Participants reported that private status sharing relieves the pressure and expectations for timely attendance. We also found that senders are affected by the receiver's status, their own status to chat, possible interruptions to the receiver, and the possibility of message content exposure to others through notifications.