Attention Nooks: Situated Frictions to Foster Intentional Technology Use

Paper Title

Attention Nooks: Situated Frictions to Foster Intentional Technology Use

Publication Info

• Topic area: Digital wellbeing and human-computer interaction in domestic spaces
• Keywords: Digital wellbeing, situated frictions, attention economy, smart home, Research-through-Design, autobiographical design, critical making, spatial interventions, intentional technology use, domestic spaces

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Pervasive technologies and the attention economy have infiltrated domestic spaces, leading to compulsive digital consumption and diminished opportunities for intentional technology use. Existing Digital Self-Control Tools (DSCTs) often fail due to high attrition rates and lack of spatial awareness.
• Significance: Addressing this issue is critical for improving digital wellbeing, reclaiming domestic spaces, and fostering intentional engagement with technology in everyday life.
• Motivation and related work: Prior work has focused on temporal and frequency-based frictions, as well as intent-driven interventions, but these approaches often neglect the spatial dimension of technology use. This paper builds on speculative and empirical designs to explore how spatially grounded interventions can support digital wellbeing.

Solution

• Proposed approach: Attention Nooks—spatial interventions introducing "situated frictions" within specific zones of the home to encourage intentional technology use.
• Novelty:
  1. Introduction of "situated frictions" as a spatially grounded approach to digital wellbeing.
  2. Development of three distinct nooks—Liberation Nook, Exploration Nook, and Immersion Nook—tailored to different attentional modes.
  3. Implementation of open-source, privacy-preserving systems using off-the-shelf sensors for presence detection.
  4. Reflection on the complexities of living with and adapting these interventions in domestic spaces.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Research-through-Design (RtD) methodology combining autobiographical design and critical making.
  • Deployment of presence sensors (e.g., mmWave radar) integrated with Home Assistant to enforce spatial frictions.
  • Iterative design and reflection on the lived experience of using Attention Nooks.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Liberation Nook: Restricted all device use in spaces like bedrooms or communal areas, improving mental presence and sleep quality.
  • Exploration Nook: Blocked distracting platforms while enabling intentional multitasking in workspaces like desks.
  • Immersion Nook: Allowed only essential tools for focused activities, such as reading or practicing music, to support sustained attention.
• Advantage over baselines: Unlike traditional DSCTs, Attention Nooks leverage spatial contexts to create more meaningful and adaptable frictions, addressing both "anytime" and "anywhere" dimensions of technology use.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Autobiographical deployment in a single-occupant apartment over one year.
  • Weekly reflections, override journaling, and sensor data collection to analyze the impact of interventions.
  • Reflexive thematic analysis to identify patterns and insights.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Current implementation is limited to single-occupancy homes without pets due to sensor constraints.
  • Challenges in extending to multi-dweller households, requiring collaborative and inclusive design approaches.
  • Future work includes exploring community-based practices for digital wellbeing and addressing ethical concerns around indoor localization.

Summary

This paper introduces Attention Nooks, a framework of spatial interventions that use "situated frictions" to promote intentional technology use in domestic spaces. Developed through a Research-through-Design methodology, the study identifies three types of nooks—Liberation, Exploration, and Immersion—each tailored to different attentional needs. The interventions were implemented using open-source systems and presence sensors, offering a flexible, privacy-preserving approach. Results highlight the potential of spatially grounded frictions to support digital wellbeing, though challenges remain in scaling to multi-dweller households and addressing ethical concerns. By reframing digital wellbeing as a dynamic, situated practice, this work contributes to broader discussions on reclaiming agency in the attention economy.