Introduction:
Is interaction important? – talk more about social interaction today and how it’s really changed. And how we are more connected than ever today and yet macrosocial interaction seems to be struggling.
Humans are an expressive species. ‘Communication is one of those everyday activities that is intertwined with all of human life so completely that we sometimes overlook its pervasiveness, importance, and complexity.’ ( (Littlejohn & Foss, 2010) It is a key part of social interaction which can be described as ‘an exchange between two or more individuals’- a vital part of creating a diverse, yet strong, social capital (Boundless,2016; Lesser, 2000).
Social interaction is also pivotal in the early stages development of babies for …show more content…
Phase 1 will explore the environments social interaction thrives in, the factors that stifle socialising between strangers in public places and finally what has been done to improve interaction in public places.
Where does social interaction take place and what communities are involved?
The environments socialising takes place are typically one of three following categories: First Spaces (home), Second Spaces (work) and Third Spaces (Public places) (Kahler Slater, 2010).
Oldenberg (1999) illustrates that to be content, humans require interaction from all three spaces; however, it’s within third places that people can find strangers to socially interact with. He expresses in his book, “ The Great Good Place”, the importance of Third spaces by detailing certain crucial aspects such as a ‘neutral ground’ and ‘inclusive levelling’ for individuals. He writes: "In order for the city and its neighbourhoods to offer the rich and varied association that is their promise and potential, there must be neutral ground upon which people may gather. There must be places where individuals may come and go as they please, in which no one is required to play host, and in which we all feel at home and comfortable" (Oldenburg, …show more content…
Several attempts to recreate interaction between passengers have been made in the past (Schenker, 2011; Barthel, et al., 2010). Of those endeavours, Tesco’s ‘HomePlus’ was a virtual shopping mall for commuters waiting for their train (see image). The technology allowed people to scan in their items with their smartphone and have the produce delivered when they arrived home. This reduced the mental load on individuals who were coming back from work (Osborn, 2012).
Yahoo (2011) also created the ‘Bus stop Derby’ for commuters. The interactive bus stop allowed passengers to play games competitively against other neighbourhoods while waiting for the bus. The novelty aspect and use of gamification (Deterding, et al., 2011) positively engaged members of the public. The project improved the commuting experience for individuals by engaging them in activities therefore reducing ‘perceived time’. (Brown & Stubbs, 1992). As well as the aforementioned, a secondary benefit might have included a new motivation for strangers to talk by creating a common subject for conversation
Is interaction important? – talk more about social interaction today and how it’s really changed. And how we are more connected than ever today and yet macrosocial interaction seems to be struggling.
Humans are an expressive species. ‘Communication is one of those everyday activities that is intertwined with all of human life so completely that we sometimes overlook its pervasiveness, importance, and complexity.’ ( (Littlejohn & Foss, 2010) It is a key part of social interaction which can be described as ‘an exchange between two or more individuals’- a vital part of creating a diverse, yet strong, social capital (Boundless,2016; Lesser, 2000).
Social interaction is also pivotal in the early stages development of babies for …show more content…
Phase 1 will explore the environments social interaction thrives in, the factors that stifle socialising between strangers in public places and finally what has been done to improve interaction in public places.
Where does social interaction take place and what communities are involved?
The environments socialising takes place are typically one of three following categories: First Spaces (home), Second Spaces (work) and Third Spaces (Public places) (Kahler Slater, 2010).
Oldenberg (1999) illustrates that to be content, humans require interaction from all three spaces; however, it’s within third places that people can find strangers to socially interact with. He expresses in his book, “ The Great Good Place”, the importance of Third spaces by detailing certain crucial aspects such as a ‘neutral ground’ and ‘inclusive levelling’ for individuals. He writes: "In order for the city and its neighbourhoods to offer the rich and varied association that is their promise and potential, there must be neutral ground upon which people may gather. There must be places where individuals may come and go as they please, in which no one is required to play host, and in which we all feel at home and comfortable" (Oldenburg, …show more content…
Several attempts to recreate interaction between passengers have been made in the past (Schenker, 2011; Barthel, et al., 2010). Of those endeavours, Tesco’s ‘HomePlus’ was a virtual shopping mall for commuters waiting for their train (see image). The technology allowed people to scan in their items with their smartphone and have the produce delivered when they arrived home. This reduced the mental load on individuals who were coming back from work (Osborn, 2012).
Yahoo (2011) also created the ‘Bus stop Derby’ for commuters. The interactive bus stop allowed passengers to play games competitively against other neighbourhoods while waiting for the bus. The novelty aspect and use of gamification (Deterding, et al., 2011) positively engaged members of the public. The project improved the commuting experience for individuals by engaging them in activities therefore reducing ‘perceived time’. (Brown & Stubbs, 1992). As well as the aforementioned, a secondary benefit might have included a new motivation for strangers to talk by creating a common subject for conversation