Design and evaluation of context-aware distraction management systems

Abstract

Smartphones are essential devices for modern people that provide necessary functions for daily life, channels to communicate with the world, and diverse Internet contents anytime and everywhere. However, due to high connectivity with users and accessibility, smartphones may interrupt users' ongoing activity with external interruptions in situations requiring concentration. In addition, habitual smartphone use can lead to problems such as over-immersion or over-use of smartphones. The OS system provides users with functions such as Do Not Disturb and Digital Wellbeing to manage smartphone distractions. However, there is a limitation in that the user has to execute the function in contexts where concentration is required manually, and the function does not operate adaptively according to the user's contexts. Therefore, I aim to design and evaluate a context-based distraction management system. To evaluate the feasibility of the system, I designed a system (Let's FOCUS) that restrained smartphone use based on the classroom location and performed user evaluation in the field. As a result, I confirmed that users could effectively regulate smartphone use and focus on the class without interruptions when providing the distraction management function based on location context. Further, I performed experience sampling (ESM) to understand the situations in which users experience smartphone disturbances in their daily life and collected user-generated distraction management rules to understand users' preferred methods of handling smartphone distractions. This indicates that it is very important to provide a personalized context-aware distraction management system. From this, I concluded that it is more suitable for the user to program distraction management rules (i.e., End-user programming), and the system operates according to the rules rather than providing a predefined distraction management function. Also, I suggested a framework (Extended Trigger-Action Programming) to provide expressivity of the distraction management rule. In addition, I found the rules specified to not clear the situation requiring distraction management, and I concluded the system should support the expressivity of the rule and the user mental model to allow users to program rules without errors as desired. I derived guidelines for system design and developed the system (FocusAid), allowing users to program distraction management rules. Through three evaluations, including user field studies, I confirmed that users programmed rules that specify contexts where smartphone distraction management is required and how to handle distractions without difficulty and effectively manage distractions in their daily life. Based on the evaluation results, I suggest a direction for the development of context-aware distraction management systems.