Keyword – ambivalence

Timár, Borbála:

Reluctant participation

Mobile technology is an excellent example of the “paradox of technology,” i.e. the duality that these devices provide previously unimaginable freedoms and yet they may result in overuse, addiction and many other digital harms (effects and behaviours) (Mick & Fournier 1998, Barnes et al. 2019). The users themselves often consider constant online presence a burden, and their relationship to digital devices and content is ambivalent (Ytre-Arne et al. 2020), described by the concept of “participatory reluctance” on behalf of users (Cassidy 2016). This paper presents a qualitative data collection method called the “love and breakup letter method” (Martin & Hanington 2012) and illustrates it with examples. The “love or breakup letter method” is a relatively open form of qualitative data collection that explores the personal feelings and experiences of the participants.

Keywords: ambivalence, attitude, digital technology, Love and breakup letter, user experiences research