The Networked Household Tracy Kennedy University of Toronto

“ As I see it, technology has built the house in which we all live” What role do ICTs play in today’s household? ICT use between household members ICT use between household members and their networks outside the household Ursula Franklin 1990: 1

What role do ICTs play in today’s household?

ICT use between household members

ICT use between household members and their networks outside the household

Households of the past…

Households have changed More common law couples Two person households increased Women having fewer or no children Young adults postponing children (education & career) More households with dual incomes (more women working) Longer work days & weeks Less time spent on housework Less family time

More common law couples

Two person households increased

Women having fewer or no children

Young adults postponing children (education & career)

More households with dual incomes (more women working)

Longer work days & weeks

Less time spent on housework

Less family time

Connectivity has changed Bandwidth - 72% of Canadians online Ubiquity – anywhere, anytime Portability – wireless devices Personalization – affordances of ICT use Convergence – personal, private, public blended, multi-media

Bandwidth - 72% of Canadians online

Ubiquity – anywhere, anytime

Portability – wireless devices

Personalization – affordances of ICT use

Convergence – personal, private, public blended, multi-media

ICTs use between Household Members How do adult household members communicate with each other? How do adult household members use ICTs to organize and coordinate their leisure and social behavior both inside and outside the home? How do adult household members use ICTs to share things with each other?

How do adult household members communicate with each other?

How do adult household members use ICTs to organize and coordinate their leisure and social behavior both inside and outside the home?

How do adult household members use ICTs to share things with each other?

Connected Lives Study East York, Toronto 2004-2005 Population of 114,240 (2001 census) Survey: 350 adults 32 pages; communication, information seeking, social networks and more… Interviews: 25% (n=87) 2-3 hours; survey follow up + household division of labour, ICT use, network structure, health, culture and more…

East York, Toronto 2004-2005

Population of 114,240 (2001 census)

Survey:

350 adults

32 pages; communication, information seeking, social networks and more…

Interviews:

25% (n=87)

2-3 hours; survey follow up + household division of labour, ICT use, network structure, health, culture and more…

East York in Toronto

Partnered Households in East York (n=167) Median age of 43 57% are women 62% are partnered 75% have children 69% employed 38% have a university degree 7.2 mean number of years online

Median age of 43

57% are women

62% are partnered

75% have children

69% employed

38% have a university degree

7.2 mean number of years online

Household Internet use Non Internet User 6% (do not connect to internet from home) Light Internet User 24% (Internet from home 1-2 hrs/week: mean = 1.6 hrs/week) Moderate Internet User 35% (Internet from home 3-7 hrs/week: mean = 4.6 hrs/week) Heavy Internet User 35% (Internet from home more than 7 hrs/week: mean = 20.5 hrs/week or almost 3 hrs/day)

Non Internet User 6%

(do not connect to internet from home)

Light Internet User 24%

(Internet from home 1-2 hrs/week: mean = 1.6 hrs/week)

Moderate Internet User 35%

(Internet from home 3-7 hrs/week: mean = 4.6 hrs/week)

Heavy Internet User 35%

(Internet from home more than 7 hrs/week: mean = 20.5 hrs/week or almost 3 hrs/day)

How do adult household members communicate with each other?

Landline Most frequent medium used to communicate with partners and children Non users call their partners almost daily (women the most) Internet using men use landlines as often as do male non-users Female Internet users call somewhat less often than non-users Landline used less often to connect with children than with partners – but still used the most

Most frequent medium used to communicate with partners and children

Non users call their partners almost daily (women the most)

Internet using men use landlines as often as do male non-users

Female Internet users call somewhat less often than non-users

Landline used less often to connect with children than with partners – but still used the most

Mobile phone Second most frequently used medium Heavy & light internet users call their partners every other day Heavy & light internet users call their children weekly Non internet users use mobile phones the least Women use mobile phones to call partners and children more than men

Second most frequently used medium

Heavy & light internet users call their partners every other day

Heavy & light internet users call their children weekly

Non internet users use mobile phones the least

Women use mobile phones to call partners and children more than men

Email Used less frequently than landline or mobile phones to contact partner (avg 1-2/week) Less email to children than landline or mobile Men email their partners as often as women do Women email their children more often than men

Used less frequently than landline or mobile phones to contact partner (avg 1-2/week)

Less email to children than landline or mobile

Men email their partners as often as women do

Women email their children more often than men

Instant Messaging people IM partners less than once per week many never IM, while a few IM more frequently hardly any use IM to communicate with their spouses or children while they are at home together

people IM partners less than once per week

many never IM, while a few IM more frequently

hardly any use IM to communicate with their spouses or children while they are at home together

How do adult household members use ICTs to organize and coordinate their leisure and social behavior both inside and outside the home?

ICTs to manage Busy schedules Paid work, domestic work, leisure, social, hobbies etc Children’s extracurricular activities Use whatever ICT is most convenient & efficient

Paid work, domestic work, leisure, social, hobbies etc

Children’s extracurricular activities

Use whatever ICT is most convenient & efficient

Social affordances of ICTs Emailing partners from Home helps organize hectic routines - Easy & convenient Asynchronous; respond when you can Not intrusive Useful to keep track of what partners & children are doing Light users not often Moderate users email their partner from home an avg 1x/wk Heavy users email their partner from home an avg of 3x/wk

Emailing partners from Home helps organize hectic routines -

Easy & convenient

Asynchronous; respond when you can

Not intrusive

Useful to keep track of what partners & children are doing

Light users not often

Moderate users email their partner from home an avg 1x/wk

Heavy users email their partner from home an avg of 3x/wk

I: Do you ever email your husband from here? … And send a message to his work? P: It’s usually because when we’re here, there’s a thousand things going on and then the daytime comes; the girls are at school, he’s out of the way, Adam’s sleeping, and I think, “OK, we need to do this, this, this and this”. So I’m not going to pick up the phone ‘cause he’s at work and I don’t want to do that - but let me just send it so that way it’s out of my head. I’ve communicated, and when we get together tonight, “oh yeah, that email you sent me.” (#421 moderate user)

I: Do you ever email your husband from here? … And send a message to his work?

P: It’s usually because when we’re here, there’s a thousand things going on and then the daytime comes; the girls are at school, he’s out of the way, Adam’s sleeping, and I think, “OK, we need to do this, this, this and this”. So I’m not going to pick up the phone ‘cause he’s at work and I don’t want to do that - but let me just send it so that way it’s out of my head. I’ve communicated, and when we get together tonight, “oh yeah, that email you sent me.” (#421 moderate user)

Emailing from work Light & moderate users email partner an avg 3x/wk from work Heavy users 2x/wk Women email household members from work more than men do “ I do it from work all the time - to my husband in particular, because my kids during the day are not online - in school. But to my husband…I know he’s honestly on the computer a lot during the day. Not all day, but a lot, and I know he checks his emails frequently, so I can usually catch him there. Not that he doesn’t have a mobile phone all the time with him and stuff like that, but I’d rather just zip off an email to him…I emailed him today, I can’t even think what it’s about – like, “are you going to be home today after school to take the dog out?” You know - that type of thing” (#432 – light user)

Light & moderate users email partner an avg 3x/wk from work

Heavy users 2x/wk

Women email household members from work more than men do

“ I do it from work all the time - to my husband in particular, because my kids during the day are not online - in school. But to my husband…I know he’s honestly on the computer a lot during the day. Not all day, but a lot, and I know he checks his emails frequently, so I can usually catch him there. Not that he doesn’t have a mobile phone all the time with him and stuff like that, but I’d rather just zip off an email to him…I emailed him today, I can’t even think what it’s about – like, “are you going to be home today after school to take the dog out?” You know - that type of thing” (#432 – light user)

How do adult household members use ICTs to share things with each other?

Together or separate? Heavy users spend an avg of 3 hrs/wk with their partners using the Internet Moderate users – avg 1.5 hrs/wk Light users – avg 1 hr/wk The more the Internet is used, the more time that partners spend together online

Heavy users spend an avg of 3 hrs/wk with their partners using the Internet

Moderate users – avg 1.5 hrs/wk

Light users – avg 1 hr/wk

The more the Internet is used, the more time that partners spend together online

Show & share “ My husband: the one thing that he does do…on the Internet is look at real estate, all over the place. Just the other night we were both sitting and looking at condos in Mexico. Let’s do it! You know, we were looking at property in Greece, but it was ridiculous…. We will often do that…. He also likes to look at the muscle cars; you know, the old-fashioned cars? He and my eldest son actually will sit down look at things like that on the Internet. So yeah, sometimes we will sit together, mainly for that purpose, looking at the real estate, like: “Look at these houses!” or something and dream” (#174 – heavy user) Planning activities – movies, concerts, vacations Complement with other media such as TV Explore & share personal interests and hobbies Home renovations Real estate Communicate with relatives

“ My husband: the one thing that he does do…on the Internet is look at real estate, all over the place. Just the other night we were both sitting and looking at condos in Mexico. Let’s do it! You know, we were looking at property in Greece, but it was ridiculous…. We will often do that…. He also likes to look at the muscle cars; you know, the old-fashioned cars? He and my eldest son actually will sit down look at things like that on the Internet. So yeah, sometimes we will sit together, mainly for that purpose, looking at the real estate, like: “Look at these houses!” or something and dream” (#174 – heavy user)

Planning activities – movies, concerts, vacations

Complement with other media such as TV

Explore & share personal interests and hobbies

Home renovations

Real estate

Communicate with relatives

A new way to spend time with children Couples are spending time online with their children as well as with each other Women spend more hours with their children online than do men (in all user groups) Female heavy users - 4.6 hrs/wk vs male heavy users - 1.5 hrs/wk

Couples are spending time online with their children as well as with each other

Women spend more hours with their children online than do men (in all user groups)

Female heavy users - 4.6 hrs/wk vs male heavy users - 1.5 hrs/wk

“ Well, we go on the Treehouse TV [website]. It’s like the kids’ TV station: they have a website and they have games and music so… If I’m on there and she’s coming around, I’ll type in the Treehouse TV website and look at some stuff with her” (#263 -light) “ We have access to the Winnie the Pooh site for counting and alphabet and stuff. So those kinds of educational games are not game games but are like counting or alphabet or you know: Dora and Blues Crews - like nursery rhymes and stuff” (#341 – heavy) “ My youngest [adult] son and myself will spend more time finding fascinating things on the computer like “oh, come and look at this!” You know? Whatever, right? So sometimes we will sit side by side at the computer and do stuff” (#174 -heavy)

“ Well, we go on the Treehouse TV [website]. It’s like the kids’ TV station: they have a website and they have games and music so… If I’m on there and she’s coming around, I’ll type in the Treehouse TV website and look at some stuff with her” (#263 -light)

“ We have access to the Winnie the Pooh site for counting and alphabet and stuff. So those kinds of educational games are not game games but are like counting or alphabet or you know: Dora and Blues Crews - like nursery rhymes and stuff” (#341 – heavy)

“ My youngest [adult] son and myself will spend more time finding fascinating things on the computer like “oh, come and look at this!” You know? Whatever, right? So sometimes we will sit side by side at the computer and do stuff” (#174 -heavy)

Interesting… Light Users (avg 1-2 hrs/wk): 70% Women Send more emails to partners IM partners more than others Send more emails to children IM children more often Gendered communication patterns? Kin keepers?

Light Users (avg 1-2 hrs/wk):

70% Women

Send more emails to partners

IM partners more than others

Send more emails to children

IM children more often

Gendered communication patterns?

Kin keepers?

Households without borders Household members often have separate schedules & agendas They use ICTs to help organize busy lives People use different ICTs for different situations and needs – it’s personalized The internet isn’t replacing F2F time in the household

Household members often have separate schedules & agendas

They use ICTs to help organize busy lives

People use different ICTs for different situations and needs – it’s personalized

The internet isn’t replacing F2F time in the household

Next steps… ICT use between household members and networks outside the household Investigating the social networks of household members Are they separate or do they overlap? Examining how household members manage their networks outside the home Who does it? Which ICTs do they use? Where do they do it? Is the home the hub?

ICT use between household members and networks outside the household

Investigating the social networks of household members

Are they separate or do they overlap?

Examining how household members manage their networks outside the home

Who does it?

Which ICTs do they use?

Where do they do it?

Is the home the hub?

Further reading… Kennedy, Tracy & B. Wellman (2007). “Networked Households” in Information, Communication & Society , Vol 10 (5), pp 645-670.

Kennedy, Tracy & B. Wellman (2007). “Networked Households” in Information, Communication & Society , Vol 10 (5), pp 645-670.

Tracy L. M. Kennedy PhD Candidate – Department of Sociology Graduate Fellow – Knowledge Media & Design Institute Research Director - NetLab [email_address] University of Toronto 725 Spadina Ave. Toronto, ON M5S 2J4 [email_address] www.netwomen.ca

Tracy L. M. Kennedy

PhD Candidate –

Department of Sociology

Graduate Fellow –

Knowledge Media & Design

Institute

Research Director - NetLab

[email_address]

University of Toronto

725 Spadina Ave.

Toronto, ON M5S 2J4

[email_address]

www.netwomen.ca