A necessary evil: people's attitudes to auxiliary activities associated with owning and using smart devices
Files
(Published version)
Date
2025
Authors
Sepahpour, G.
Blackler, A.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 2025; 18(100690):1-13
Statement of Responsibility
Conference Name
Abstract
Smart devices necessitate engagement in supporting tasks, termed “auxiliary activities,” which are integral to user interactions yet overlooked in research. This study investigates attitudes to these activities through thirty semi-structured interviews with participants across three age groups: 22–39, 40–59, and 60+. Participants shared their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, offering insights into the cognitive, affective, and conative components of attitudes to auxiliary activities such as updating, charging, and password management. Despite predominantly negative perceptions, users comply with and prepare for these necessary tasks. Thematic analysis identified key factors shaping these attitudes, including task completion difficulty, time consumption, incompatibility, and interruptions. Younger users prioritised minimising time consumption, while older users emphasised task completion challenges, often expressing frustration and annoyance. These findings highlight opportunities for designers to reduce the burden of auxiliary activities, ultimately enhancing user experience and device usability.
School/Discipline
Dissertation Note
Provenance
Description
Access Status
Rights
Copyright 2025 The Authors. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Access Condition Notes: This is an open access article under the CC BY license