Habits make smartphone use more pervasive

== Abstract ==
Examining several sources of data on smartphone use, this paper presents evidence for the popular conjecture that mobile devices are ‘‘habit-forming.’’ The form of habits we identified is called a checking habit: brief, repetitive inspection of dynamic content quickly accessible on the device. We describe findings on kinds and frequencies of checking behaviors in three studies. We found that checking habits occasionally spur users to do other things with the device and may increase usage overall. Data from a controlled field experiment show that checking behaviors emerge and are reinforced by informational ‘‘rewards’’ that are very quickly accessible. Qualitative data suggest that although repetitive habitual use is frequent, it is experienced more as an annoyance than an addiction. We conclude that supporting habit-formation is an opportunity for making smartphones more ‘‘personal’’ and ‘‘pervasive.’’
== Main Ideas ==
Based off their study, they concluded several things about habits that people form when using smartphones. They were able to get a lot of data and statistics dealing with when, where, how often, and what people were checking the most on their phones.
When it came to what was most commonly checked, the top three included: Email, Facebook, and news headlines/updates. Most of the time, email was checked either at home or on the go. Facebook was about the same (30% at home, 36% on the go, and 10% during a lecture). When it came to checking the news, 60% checked it on the go. The article makes note that most participants did these checks during "empty moments," when there was very little else to do, mostly during commutes.
The summarization of their findings included that sessions were more brief, as opposed to long sessions. Smartphone use was shorter in duration and more spread out as opposed to other technology such as laptops. Habits increase overall phone use. Having quick, easy access to certain information will increase habit strength, or how often they check their phone. A habit that is formed is usually triggered by one's situation, on average. Lastly, though these habits are quick to form, they are not perceived as problematic, but in general, it is considered an annoyance.
== Citation ==
Oulasvirta, Antti, Tye Rattenbury, Lingyi Ma, and Eeva Raita. "Habits Make Smartphone Use More Pervasive." Personal and Ubiquitous Computing 16.1 (2012): 105-14. Helsinki Institute for Information Technology. HIIT, 10 May 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.