Almost touching: Parent-child remote communication using the sharetable system

• Main Authors: YAROSH, Svetlana, TANG, Anthony, MOKASHI, Sanika, ABOWD, Gregory D.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2013
• Subjects: Camera-projector system; Children; Computer-mediated communication; Divorced families; Home; Tabletop; Information Security
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sis_research/7896; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sis_research/article/8899/viewcontent/yarosh_cscw2013_camera_ready__1_.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

We deployed the ShareTable - a system that provides easy-to-initiate videochat and a shared tabletop task space - in four divorced households. Throughout the month of its use, the families employed the ShareTable to participate in shared activities, share emotional moments, and communicate closeness through metaphorical touch. The ShareTable provided a number of advantages over the phone and was easier to use than standard videoconferencing. However, it did also introduce concerns over privacy and new sources of conflict about appropriate calling practices. We relate our findings to the larger research landscape and present implications for future work.