Sustainable Family

In today's families, we are witnessing a problem that could be simplistically described as an excessive use of media technologies in the home. We note a high rate of phonoholism, i.e. smartphone addiction and the Fear of Missing Out. The negative consequences of this state of affairs are psychological (including addictions, emotional disorders) and social (including disrupted social relations, changes in personal culture, e.g. as a result of the so-called phubbing, i.e. ignoring the environment by using smartphones). On the other hand, new trends are emerging based on isolation and limiting the use of media technologies, serving the purpose of mental or even physical purification (e.g. so-called digital detox) and rebuilding the sense of control and relations with other people.

The aim of the project was to develop a concrete practical solution for family members to use media technologies in a balanced way in the home environment. The proposed solution (mobile app technical requirements) was based on several stages of empirical research and was generated in collaboration with representatives of diverse backgrounds.

Furthermore, the project aimed to contribute new knowledge on theoretical and practical aspects of media technology use and design. This is to be achieved by involving students and graduates of the social sciences in the research and project work (so-called research-oriented teaching), enriching the content of course curricula with issues taken up and developed within the project, and scientific and content-related cooperation with representatives of both diverse research environments and various media technology industries.