The document describes Ashley Hamilton's ethnographic research observations of college students' posture and social media usage. She observed students in dorms and the student center who tended to slouch with poor posture while using social media on their devices. Additional research discussed how slouching can negatively impact self-esteem and cause back pain over long periods. Hamilton proposes designing a portable back support piece to encourage better posture while students are in beds, at desks, or in class.

1. Ashley Hamilton
Professor Klinkowstein
“Don’t expose yourself so much on social media”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/life/ct-social-media-privacy20140130,0,6538726.story

2. Ashley Hamilton
Professor Klinkowstein
• Don’t reveal your location
• Know your privacy settings
• Turn auto back up off

3. Ashley Hamilton
Professor Klinkowstein
• Control what others tag you in
• Do not expose everything
• Know all of your settings

4. Ashley Hamilton
Professor Klinkowstein
• Observe 5 students using social
media in dorms and in student
center.

5. Ashley Hamilton
Ethnographic Research (Dorm)
Professor Klinkostein

6. Ashley Hamilton
Ethnographic Research (Dorm)
Professor Klinkowstein

7. Ashley Hamilton
Ethnographic Research (Dorm)
Professor Klinkowstein

8. Ashley Hamilton
Ethnographic Research (Dorm)
Professor Klinkowstein

9. Ashley Hamilton
Professor Klinkowstein
Ethnographic Research Observations in
Dorms
• People seemed to feel more comfortable
tweeting personal things.
• Many people had their location turned
on.
• Posture-sloutched over and complaining
about backaches

10. Ashley Hamilton
Professor Klinkowstein
Ethnographic Research (SC/ Dorm)

11. Ashley Hamilton
Professor Klinkowstein
Ethnographic Research (Classroom)

12. Ashley Hamilton
Professor Klinkowstein
Ethnographic Research (Classroom)

13. Ashley Hamilton
Professor Klinkowstein
Ethnographic Research Observations in
Public (Student Center and Classroom)
• Some randomly told me they like to
“creep on” other’s social media.
• Posture- also sloutched over

14. Ashley Hamilton
Professor Klinkowstein
Ethnographic Research Observations in
Public
• People who were using social media in
public just scrolled down their timeline.

15. Professor Klinkowstein
Ashley Hamilton
Additional Research
• Stop Sloughing! Good Posture Boosts Self-Esteem by
Harvey Black
• Researches found that college students
who sat up and filled out a survey felt
better than those who slouched while
filling out the forms.

16. Professor Klinkowstein
Ashley Hamilton
Additional Reasearch
• From Sloppy Slouchers to Discreet Learners:
What’s your Desk Posture? By Venessa Wong
• Tells different bodily problems that can
be caused by different slouching
positions
• Hovering over a screen and leaning
forward for a long period of time
causes back pain.

17. Professor Klinkowstein
Ashley Hamilton
Additional Research
• Tech Needs a Posture Check by Deanna Utroske
• “When you go online, your spine goes
offline”
• During Social Media Week, people were
told about StandApp- app that reminds
you to get up from your chair, and
Posture Track- app that monitors you
through computer cameras and alerts
you when you’re slouching.

18. Professor Klinkowstein
Ashley Hamilton
Proposal for an Innovative Business
• Design a portable back piece that students
can use while in their beds, at their desk, or in
class which helps them to sit up straight and
maintain good posture.

19. Professor Klinkowstein
Ashley Hamilton
Proposal for an Innovative Business
• The back piece has the capability of
attaching to chairs and leaning against
bedroom walls in order to provide
people with comfortable back support.

20. Professor Klinkowstein
Ashley Hamilton
• Proposal for an Innovative Business
• Not only can it correct posture, but it
can also aid in back pain relief.

21. • http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic
le/stop-slouching/
• http://images.businessweek.com/slides
hows/2013-02-22/from-sloppyslouchers-to-discreet-leaners-what-syour-desk-posture#slide5
• http://socialmediaweek.org/newyork/20
14/02/26/tech-needs-posturecheck/#.UxUCafRdU4Q