Transitions in everyday practice and Internet intensity
Lead Research Organisation:
Lancaster University
Department Name: Computing & Communications
Abstract
The demand for digital devices and infrastructures is increasing by 7% per year; this is occurring alongside rising energy demand by consumer electronics, of which has increased by 74% from 1990 to 2014. Based on this, it is important to consider the social and environmental impacts of the ever-growing influence of digital devices and the Internet in everyday life. Real-time entertainment dominates peak period Internet traffic in Europe (41% fixed broadband, 33% mobile cellular) and other activities such as web browsing (17% fixed, 22% mobile), and social networking (9% fixed, 19% mobile), also contribute largely. However, no research has yet attempted to directly intervene with Internet use in everyday practices to reduce these digital demands and the associated energy consumption.
The proposed research aims to: 1) study home and mobile device network traffic to understand how it is used both spatially and temporally in everyday practice, and discover how this use supports people in meaningful ways, and 2) develop various interactive systems, to intervene with users' Internet demand, aiming to assist in adapting their everyday Internet activities in ways which positively impact the environment and society. To meet these aims, mixed method studies will be carried out within and around multiple UK homes, involving the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. This will involve deployments of home router and digital device logging software, the installation and use of an application on inhabitants' smart devices, and questionnaires, home-tours and semi structured video interviews with household members. By focusing on users' everyday practices, the study attempts to engage people in deep reflection on their Internet activities, helping people to take time away from technology. This reflection will also assist in uncovering what is negotiable in terms of the practices which users might perform differently, or those which are classed as "too important" for change in their everyday lives.
The information and interventions discovered within this project will be used to aid application developers and service providers, to support the effective design of applications and online services for more sustainable demand and energy consumption in the future.
The proposed research aims to: 1) study home and mobile device network traffic to understand how it is used both spatially and temporally in everyday practice, and discover how this use supports people in meaningful ways, and 2) develop various interactive systems, to intervene with users' Internet demand, aiming to assist in adapting their everyday Internet activities in ways which positively impact the environment and society. To meet these aims, mixed method studies will be carried out within and around multiple UK homes, involving the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. This will involve deployments of home router and digital device logging software, the installation and use of an application on inhabitants' smart devices, and questionnaires, home-tours and semi structured video interviews with household members. By focusing on users' everyday practices, the study attempts to engage people in deep reflection on their Internet activities, helping people to take time away from technology. This reflection will also assist in uncovering what is negotiable in terms of the practices which users might perform differently, or those which are classed as "too important" for change in their everyday lives.
The information and interventions discovered within this project will be used to aid application developers and service providers, to support the effective design of applications and online services for more sustainable demand and energy consumption in the future.
Organisations
Publications
Morley J
(2018)
Digitalisation, energy and data demand: The impact of Internet traffic on overall and peak electricity consumption
in Energy Research & Social Science
Tendedez H
(2018)
Planning for the things you can't plan for lessons learned from deployments in the home
in Interactions
Widdicks K
(2017)
Demand Around the Clock
Widdicks K
(2019)
Streaming, Multi-Screens and YouTube
Widdicks K
(2019)
Breaking the Cornucopian Paradigm
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N509504/1 | 30/09/2016 | 29/09/2021 | |||
| 1806135 | Studentship | EP/N509504/1 | 30/09/2016 | 30/03/2020 | Kelly Widdicks |
| Description | Through an analysis of 398 mobile devices, alongside an in-depth study involving month-long router logs for 9 households and semi-structured interviews with the participants (20 participants), I have provided a detailed overview of Internet demand in everyday life through time, by device, by service and by online activities. From this, I have provided the top areas of Internet use that the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community needs to target to reduce Internet demand growth: watching, updates and installs, gaming, social networking and communication. Given video streaming was the top Internet demand category in my studies and larger-scale studies, I have uncovered the new ways of watching in the home and provided opportunities to target this practice through HCI design and policy for Internet demand reductions. From conducting a design workshop with 13 participants, I also explored and offered HCI design opportunities for reducing Internet demand in ways which people might want to improve their wellbeing, relationships with others, online privacy and work productivity. Furthermore, I highlighted the challenges of working in this domain and opportunities forward for the HCI community. |
| Exploitation Route | The majority of the findings of the work are aimed at Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers and practitioners; they can utilise the understanding of Internet demand in everyday life that I provide, as well as test and evaluate the HCI designs to reduce Internet demand in everyday life whilst also trying to improve users' wellbeing, relationships with others, online privacy and work productivity. The work also highlighted that HCI researchers and practitioners should collaborate with network engineers to understand the impact of new designs on the Internet and peak demand. Policy makers that are looking at Internet growth and sustainability can also utilise this work: more sustainable video streaming (and other more data-intensive Internet traffic) might need to cost more to reflect its environmental cost which contravenes net-neutrality laws, so research would be required on how to introduce fair and sustainable Internet policies; and policies may be required to get businesses on board to reduce Internet demand in their online services. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Energy Government Democracy and Justice |
| Description | The findings of the research have been disseminated via the press articles (e.g. the Sunday Times) and interviews (on the radio, e.g. BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Nottingham) which have helped raise the general public's awareness of the environmental impacts of Internet use - particularly video streaming. |
| Description | EPSRC Doctoral Prize |
| Amount | £32,331 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2020 |
| End | 01/2021 |
| Description | Interview for Gizmodo press release |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Interview for press release by Maddie Stone for Gizmodo: 'The Planet Needs a New Internet' (as an outcome from my publication 'Streaming, Multi-Screens and YouTube: The New (Un)sustainable Ways of Watching in the Home'). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://earther.gizmodo.com/the-planet-needs-a-new-internet-1837101745#replies |
| Description | Interview for The Naked Scientists press release |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Interview by Ben McAllister at the Naked Scientists (for press release/podcast) to highlight the energy consumption from streaming video (as an outcome from my publication 'Streaming, Multi-Screens and YouTube: The New (Un)sustainable Ways of Watching in the Home'). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/interviews/video-streaming-electricity-demand-grows |
| Description | Live press interview on local news (BBC Radio Nottingham) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Live press interview from BBC Radio Nottingham on their morning show (~10am) to highlight the energy consumption from streaming video (as an outcome from my publication 'Streaming, Multi-Screens and YouTube: The New (Un)sustainable Ways of Watching in the Home'). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Live press interview on national news (BBC Radio 5 Live) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Live press interview from BBC Radio 5 Live at drive time (~5pm) to highlight the energy consumption from streaming video (as an outcome from my publication 'Streaming, Multi-Screens and YouTube: The New (Un)sustainable Ways of Watching in the Home'), given the rise of video streaming during the pandemic. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Live press interview on national news (BBC Radio Scotland) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Live press interview from BBC Radio Scotland on the morning show (~6am) to highlight the energy consumption from streaming video (as an outcome from my publication 'Streaming, Multi-Screens and YouTube: The New (Un)sustainable Ways of Watching in the Home'), given the rise of video streaming during the pandemic. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Press interview aired on BBC Radio 5 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | BBC Radio 5 played a recording of a press interview about the energy consumption associated with streaming (as an outcome of my published paper: 'Streaming, multi-screens and YouTube: The New (Un)sustainable Ways of Watching in the Home'). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | The Sunday Times article on CHI paper |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Exchanges with Jonathan Leake at the Sunday Times, leading to a press release on the energy consumption of streaming video (as an outcome from CHI publication 'Streaming, Multi-Screens and YouTube: The New (Un)sustainable Ways of Watching in the Home'). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/energy-used-in-streaming-one-film-on-netflix-makes-60-cuppas-0hkp... |