There's Not an App for That

Chapter 16

Problem 5

From Distanced to Mindful Interaction

Abstract

This Problem chapter, and the two Opportunity chapters that follow, argue for new forms of interaction that take a more mindful perspective toward day-to-day life. We discuss how our phones—originally designed for distance communication—are unfortunately still oriented in this way, despite this not being appropriate. We explore how taking a fresh look at the ways we communicate can offer more natural ways of interacting, then take a leap into the unknown to explore how we might support mindfulness without any apps at all.

Keywords

mindfulness; communication; people-centered design

What’s the Problem?

Apps can distance people from each other.

As we have seen in previous chapters, this ...