My research broadly covers the new media, locative systems, social presence and awareness systems. Communications technology enables people to keep in touch over a distance, but current systems promote hyper-awareness and hyper-connectedness. Teenagers are pressurised into using instant messenger systems by offering involvement in social groups; millions are jumping on the social networking bandwagon, updating themselves many times a day of their social surroundings; avatars and one-liner status descriptions are used to communicate presence. All of these methods are adopted into the natural lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world.
