Society. Spaces. Screens

Abstract

Our relationship with screen-based technology elicits amusement and frustration. While we can connect virtually anytime, many feel tethered and overtasked, living in a state of omnipresence. As we navigate the interplay between physical and digital environments, concepts of presence and embodiment are venturing into unexplored territories, as individuals have increased options to choose their state of embodied presence. Zoom enhances omnipresence, allowing us to interact with physically absent individuals and grant access to our physical spaces, creating a “doubling of space” through shared screens Casetti (2023). Important questions in this context include: When and why people prefer in-person interaction over screen-based presence? This presentation will explore relationships people have with screen-based media in public settings. I will discuss research conducted through surveys, interviews, and experiments to create new design-oriented knowledge around organizational adaptability and the socio-spatial environment to gain a deeper understanding of our current “situationship” with screen-based service design. One aspect of the research considers how urban retail settings are being redefined by screen-based technology. Amazon Go is a convenience store, to gain access, customers scan QR codes connected to their Amazon accounts and pass through a turnstile. Once inside customers make purchases with Just Walk Out shopping, a technology leveraging computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning to know what customers are purchasing. With the understanding that screen-based digital services are altering our sense of embodied presence, this presentation considers how these shifts challenge conventional notions of presence and raise new questions about our engagement with public spaces.