Sydney University. Australia: Two University of Sydney researchers are calling on developers to rethink their entire approach to designing computer software. Professor Rafael Calvo, School of Electrical and Information Technology and Dorian Peters, Faculty of Education and Social Work are urging developers to employ "positive computing" software methods in their design processes. Professor
Calvo, Director of the Positive Computing Lab and Co-Director of the
Software Engineering Group at the University believes we are at risk of
becoming slaves to our own computer designs, when instead we should be
directing them in ways that foster our happiness.
"It is not
just about getting a computer to do more things for you," says the
Professor whose research is focussed on the design of systems that
specifically support wellbeing in areas of mental health, medicine and
education.
"For the past three decades we have been focussed
on technology for improving performance and productivity - we need to
move on from that- towards developing technology that respects and
improves our well-being, something we call positive computing."
The
pair who has been researching the effects of computer technology on a
person's wellness argue technology can support things, such as positive
emotions, self-awareness, mindfulness, empathy, and compassion.
According
to Peters, there are already examples that show certain technology
designs can increase altruism, positive emotion, and self-awareness. On a
recent trip to Silicon Valley, they met with researchers at Facebook
who run the company's "Compassion Project", and gave a seminar as part
of "Mindfulness Week" at Google.
"Even people at the big tech
companies are starting to see the benefits of considering impact on
wellbeing for both business and social reasons," says Peters.
"We
know how to make technology irresistible, addictive even," says
Professor Calvo. "We should repurpose this knowledge into designing
digital products that support quality of life and psychological
flourishing."
In their recently published book 'Positive Computing: Technology for Wellbeing and Human Potential'
Calvo and Peters explain that technologists' growing interest in social
good is part of a larger public concern about how our digital
experience affects our emotions and our quality of life.
In the book they break the notion of wellbeing down into some of it's
critical parts. They focus on factors like autonomy, connectedness, and
meaning, all of which have been shown by research to be key to
wellbeing.
Peters cites two of their current projects (one
with Asthma Australia and one with the Children's Hospital Westmead)
both designed to help adolescents with chronic illness transition from
paediatric care to mature self-management.
"If this was just
about dealing with the practical, we could just make an app that
reminded them to take their medicine, but this is about something
bigger. It's about helping young people develop a sense of competence
and autonomy, both of which are key factors of psychological wellbeing."