Abstract

In this paper we adopt a practice lens to investigate discretionary use of publicly available urban ubiquitous technology. We examine what happens when fifteen public interactive multipurpose displays are installed in different locations around a city for the free use of citizens. In city of Oulu, Finland, this technology attracted very little use in all but one location. We conducted a field study at this single “successful” location. There we identified four distinct technology-facilitated emergent practices. The practice lens enabled us to study the public displays not merely as technological entities, but as complex sociotechnical ensembles with cultural, spatial, temporal, social, material, and historical dimensions. This study addressed quite a novel context, technology and user group as regards Information Systems (IS) research. The study contributes to IS literature by pushing the study of discretionary use of technology far from organizational context to technological infrastructures available for citizens in urban settings. The study also offers novel empirical insights for practice oriented IS research. Especially the findings related to children and discretionary technology use are novel in this respect. The practice lens and our findings on the material and bodily aspects are also interesting for the discussions on sociomateriality in IS research.

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