Designing awareness systems for social connectedness – A field study approach into theoretical foundations, design principles and evaluation
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Abstract
Being in touch, and being aware of the people in one’s social network strongly contributes to one’s sense of social well-being. As communication technology has become more ubiquitous, it is possible to always be in touch with friends and relatives in the periphery of one’s attention, e.g. through instant messaging and online social networks. This research investigated the effect of such social information on people’s sense of connectedness. Also, it was studied how such communication application can be integrated into the fabric of our everyday life as awareness systems. It was found that despite the subtlety, mediated social awareness has a measurable effect on social connectedness. Also, the findings strongly suggest that ambiguity in social cues is a strong enabler of the feeling of being connected. These findings may help designers of social network applications and products to more effectively design for increased social connectedness.