Breaking point: a need for persuasion?

Image: Kellscraft

One of the most surprising outcomes of the project so far is this (excerpt from a paper that I am writing):

Once separated from their traveling parent, the children seem to handle being apart well. The parents describe their children as being “busy” and in their “own little world”. Only occasionally the children specifically ask for their parents. The traveling parent, on the other hand, seems to handle the separation less well - having a guilty conscience is common.

This project started out as an attempt to design a system for young children of traveling business men and women. My intention was to make it easier for these children to stay in touch with their traveling parent, who I assumed they were missing. However, as the project has evolved, I have come to realize that my assumptions were unfounded and wrong. Really, the main concern in this context is not the children but the parent. Basically, what my task ended up being is to make a system that helps parents stay in touch with their occupied preschoolers by designing an interface that entices the child to interact with them. I am aware of the ethical complications that this new approach brings to the table; I am basically proposing to design an interactive lure by applying persuasive elements. In addition, the approach does not at all agree with one of my key starting points (excerpt from my thesis proposal):

First, when we think of parent-child awareness we tend to see it from the parents’ point of view. Parents want to monitor their children and make sure that they are safe, but what about the children? Do they feel a similar need to be aware of and feel connected to their parents?

However, one could also choose to look at the approach from a more positive (naive?) point of view; my main goal is still to construct an interface that is enjoyable and usable for preschoolers. Thus, the focus lies on the children. If this interface, in addition, can help traveling parents feel closer to their children, then that is a big plus.

In order to understand the negative and positive implications of persuasive technology (captology), I am currently looking into the work conducted by the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab.