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In many households, one partner has introduced new tech, while the rest of the household has to learn to live with these gadgets.

(Photo: Alexander Dummer / Unsplash)

Digital housekeeping: The hidden work of smart technology

Researchers have studied a somewhat overlooked aspect of our household chores.

Kjersti Lassen COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER

Presented by: Oslo Metropolitan University

Published saturday 02. November 2024 - 04:30

Every now and then, we might experience our Wi-Fi signal dropping, having to set up a gaming account for the kids, or managing photo storage on our phones.

Digital housekeeping

In all of these examples, we are engaging in digital housekeeping, which is somewhat overlooked in statistics on household chores.

“Everyone engages in digital housekeeping in one form or another. It can be anything from managing photo storage to programming a smart home,” says researcher Helene Teigen from Consumption Research Norway (SIFO) at OsloMet.

She has studied the digital housekeeping done in connected – smart – homes.

“Smart homes can be both practical and fun, but they can also lead to frustration and anger,” she says.

“Everyone engages in digital housekeeping in one form or another. It can be anything from managing photo storage to programming a smart home,” says researcher Helene Teigen.

In many households, there’s one partner – usually the man – who has introduced the technology into the home. The rest of the household members must learn to live with the gadgets bestowed upon them.

What is it like to live with tech that we haven’t chosen ourselves?

Gadgets are fun and practical

A smart home has appliances that can connect to the internet and be controlled via apps. For example, light bulbs, door locks, washing machines, and vacuum cleaners. Some smart homes also have a voice-controlled smart assistant, such as Google Home or Alexa.

Data from the Norwegian Consumer Council from 2019 shows that one in five consumers has three or more connected products at home.

Recent data from Statistics Norway shows an increase in the use of connected products.

For example, the proportion of people who have used an internet-connected solution for energy management in the home in the last three months has increased from 8 per cent in 2020 to 28 per cent in 2024. Households with smart kitchen appliances and white goods have increased from 17 to 23 per cent in the same period.

Residents of a smart home can regulate lights and heating using an app or their voice. They can play music without having to press any buttons.

At best, it makes the experience of everyday life more seamless and pleasant.

“Many find having these gadgets to be positive for the household. They think it’s practical and fun,” says Teigen.

Technology can lead to an imbalance of power in the home

In smart homes, there is naturally more work related to digital housekeeping than in other homes. A robot vacuum can save you a few hours of work, but you can expect a bit more digital housework than from a regular vacuum.

“Digital housekeeping involves everything from doing research before purchasing, setting up the gadget to make it work as it should, and repairing or fixing any issues along the way,” Teigen explains.

All homes in the study had at least three devices connected to the internet. The household consisted of various people: young and old, families and singles. Some of the participants were older individuals who had received smart technology as gifts from adult children.

Teigen has focused primarily on the part of the household that did not bring technology into the home but still had to live with it.

She is particularly interested in the relationship between people and technology, addressing vulnerability and uneven power dynamics.

Research shows that the use of technology can lead to an imbalance of power in the home. The person who does not have control over what gadgets exist in the home, how they work, or what kind of data they collect, might be vulnerable to malfunctioning technology and to the privacy issues that they bring.

Left in the dark

Everyone living in a smart home must handle maintenance and minor repairs along the way. Small glitches are common and accepted as part of the technology. These minor tasks were not recognised as housework at all, neither by the participants nor their partners.

“The participants in the study didn't see themselves as vulnerable. They do what they must to get the gadget to work the way they need it to, but they're not very interested in learning more about the technology beyond that,” says Teigen.

Nevertheless, it can be frustrating not to get the technology to work as it should.

“For example, the smart assistant may misunderstand what you say because it is programmed for the partner, so you have to talk to it several times,” she says.

One participant was left sitting in the dark until her husband came home because the assistant failed to turn on the light she requested.

‘We need light’

Smart technology can also lead to discussions in the home. One partner – usually the man – brings the technology into the home and takes primary responsibility for it.

Is it housework or a hobby?

“It’s mostly men who deal with this. The men see it as their housework and believe they contribute to the household, with justifications like, ‘we need light’,” Teigen explains.

She adds that it is a way of showing care for the family.

“They often take into account their partner's or children's needs and wishes when purchasing technology, for example, by keeping physical light switches in addition to apps and voice control if a partner wants that,” she says.

Hobby or housekeeping?

“Women see it more as the man's hobby. Some of them feel the men should contribute more to more traditional household chores, especially those women who are less interested in the technology,” says Teigen.

Data from Statistics Norway shows that women still do more traditional housework than men.

Perhaps the balance would be better if digital housework were included in the statistics?

Reference:

Teigen, H.F. 'Troubleshooting the connected home: Exploring the perspectives of non-initiators', Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 2024. DOI: 10.1177/13548565241268062 (Abstract)