Computers were initially built to handle data such as storing, retrieving and calculating. With time, they have become more persuasive by design.

We are living in an era where technology influences attitudes, behaviour and our way of thinking and acting. A new peer is our smart mobile device, which is constantly calling for attention. A cup of tea, the newspaper and a quick look at our mobile – a message received on the mobile is quickly read even before we say good morning to our family.

The term “persuasive techno-logy” appeared between the 1970s and 1980s, when technology was used to educate young gener-ations to live a healthier life and to be more productive at the place of work. Today technology goes further: we use our credit cards that encourage us to spend more, we receive messages warning us to protect personal data, we are induced to make online purchases, and we are encouraged to ‘like’ a comment on Facebook and share our feelings publicly.

With the use of smart devices, we not only send and receive text messages but also make use of various apps. As a result mobile users can also access e-mails, chat with their peers and colleagues, and receive recent updates on any subject of interest. Smart devices create new possibilities for interaction with the way we think and act to identify solutions to our needs.

In our daily life we are constantly switching from unconscious to conscious decisions resulting from our psychological and emotional needs. In fact we are not always aware of the way technology impacts on our behaviour. Technology is inducing us to act and think in a certain way. Why do we feel the need to read a message that could be related to work even when we are having a deserved break? What persuades us to act the way we do?

Scientist B. J. Fogg defines persuasive technology as “any interactive computing system designed to change people’s attitudes and behaviours”. Persuasive techno-logy enables users to interact more effectively with their personal smart mobile device, and not just as passive users. Its aim is to help us achieve a goal or to address a need in order to improve our quality of life.

Technology is inducing us to act and think in a certain way

A hypothetical daily situation is encouraging safe driving by using an in-car system when receiving a text message. Trringg, available on devices and supported by both iPhone and Android, and Bzzy, available on Android, are two apps that can be downloaded from App Store and Google play respect-ively. These apps provide ways to control better how to interact with a mobile phone while doing something else, such as driving a car or spending time with your family.

A key aspect that distinguishes smart applications from other applications is their ability to anticipate a need. Here we refer to the needs identified by the application in the context of the user’s situation, when required to complete a particular task. This is referred to as intuitive design.

One way through which intuitive design is achieved is by making use of techniques that define various profiles with information related to groups of users who have similar aptitudes and knowledge about any particular domain. These innovative techniques lead to the adoption of a personal approach when delivering solutions within applic-ations that anticipate better the required features.

As a result a number of aspects need to be considered to ensure that our privacy is kept. The use of popular cloud storage services and information of location where we, for example, are communicating with a friend are two ways in which data leakage can occur without us being aware. To adopt solutions like the ones proposed, personal data contained within the profile would need to be designed in such a way that external people would not be able to identify the client.

Awareness of how different apps work is also important, and when in doubt you should ask for support to disable features that you can do without, such as disabling the location from the favourite social media app from which you are communicating.

Through studies that are being carried out at Computer Inform-ation Systems Department, University of Malta and Sheffield University on how users interact with their mobile at the place of work, findings show that users who are not tech-savvy prefer to know that a person they trust has experienced the solution before committing themselves to technologically-related choices. One of the solutions being investigated provides information that helps users take confident decisions to improve the way they engage with technology. The studies also involve using technology that can help people feel more comfortable with what they do when interacting with mobile devices. Although technology may seem frustrating and challenging at times, it can also be a useful aid in many fields beyond the workplace.

Smart technologies have the potential to create opportunities that contribute to improving our experience of technology. However, the integration of persuasive technology with human interaction can maximise new possibil-ities to empower us in today’s competitive world.

Conrad Attard is an Assist-ant Lecturer at the Department of Computer Information Systems within the Faculty of ICT, University of Malta. He is reading for a PhD at the University of Sheffield, UK. His research interests are smart techno-logy, enterprise applications, apps and persuasive technology. He is a member of the core team Science in the City – Researchers Night.