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HCI and Its Impact on individual quality of life.pdf
- 1. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)and Its Impact on Individual Quality of Life How the way we design technology shapes happiness, health, productivity, and social connection Author: Parham Abolghasemi Date: Nov 2025 LinkedIn Email Portfolio GitHub 1
- 2. Agenda • What isHCI? • Brief history & evolution • Core principles of good HCI • Quality of Life – definition & dimensions • 7 Key areas where HCI affects QoL • Positive & negative examples • Current trends (AI, VR, IoT, inclusive design) • Future outlook & ethical considerations • Conclusion & key takeaways 2
- 3. What is Human-ComputerInteraction (HCI)? • Interdisciplinary field combining computer science, psychology, design, ergonomics, sociology • Focus → How humans interact with computers and how to make these interactions more efficient, and satisfying • Goal → Technology should adapt to people, not the other way around 3
- 4. Evolution of HCI 1970s–1980s:GUI revolution (Xerox PARC → Apple Macintosh) 2010s: Natural User Interfaces (touch, voice, gesture) 1990s–2000s: Web, mobile, touch interfaces 2020s: Multimodal AI, AR/VR, brain-computer interfaces 1940s–1960s: Command-line interfaces (punch cards, teletype) 4
- 5. Core Principles ofModern HCI • User-centered design (UCD) • Usability (learnability, efficiency, memorability, errors, satisfaction) • Accessibility (WCAG standards) • Inclusivity & equity • Emotional design (joy, trust, delight) • Contextual awareness 5
- 6. Quality of Life(QoL) – Definition World Health Organization (WHO): “An individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of culture and value systems… and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns” Domains usually measured: 6 Physical health Psychological well-being Social relationships Environment Economic stability Personal growth & autonomy
- 7. How HCI InfluencesQuality of Life • HCI is now embedded in almost every QoL domain • Direct impact through daily tools we use 5–12 hours/day • Indirect impact through work efficiency, social connection, health management, learning, entertainment 7
- 8. Area 1: PhysicalHealth & Ergonomics • Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI),“text neck”, eye strain • Good HCI examples: ergonomic keyboards, dark mode, blue-light filters, standing-desk reminders (Apple Health, Google Fit) • Wearables that encourage movement (Apple Watch rings, Fitbit goals) 8
- 9. Area 2: MentalHealth & Cognitive Load • Information overload vs. calm technology (Mark Weiser) • Positive: Meditation apps (Headspace, Calm), mood tracking • Negative: Doomscrolling, infinite feeds, notification anxiety • Solutions: Focus modes, grayscale mode, “Do Not Disturb”, screen-time reports 9
- 10. Area 3: Productivity& Flow State 10
- 11. Area 4: SocialConnection & Relationships • Positive: Video calls (Zoom, FaceTime), social media for distant families • Negative: Social media comparison, FOMO, reduced face-to-face empathy • New designs:“Time Well Spent” movement, Instagram hiding likes, Screen Time together (Apple Family) 11
- 12. Area 5: Learning& Personal Growth 12 Personalized learning platforms (Duolingo streaks, Khan Academy mastery) Adaptive tutors using AI (Century Tech, DreamBox) Accessibility tools: text-to-speech, real-time captions, dyslexia fonts higher self-efficacy and lifelong learning
- 13. Area 6: Accessibility& Inclusion • One billion people live with disabilities (WHO) • Examples that raise QoL: 1. VoiceOver (iOS), TalkBack (Android) 2. Live Caption, Sign language avatars 3. Switch Access, eye-tracking control • Inclusive design benefits everyone (curb-cut effect) 13
- 14. Area 7: EconomicOpportunity • Gig economy platforms (Uber, Upwork, Fiverr) • Intuitive UI = lower barrier to entry income for non-tech-savvy users • Digital financial inclusion (M-Pesa in Kenya, Paytm in India) • Remote work tools (Slack, Notion, Zoom) geographic independence 14
- 15. Case Study: SmartphoneImpact on QoL (Data) • 2024 studies: • Average adult touches phone: 2,600–5,000 times/day • Moderate use (2–4 h) → higher life satisfaction • Heavy use (>7 h) → increased depression/anxiety • Intentional use (communication, learning) → positive correlation with happiness 15
- 16. Positive Real-World Example:Duolingo • Gamification 500 million downloads • 2023 study: Users learning 34 hours = 1 university semester • Increases self-esteem, cognitive reserve, career opportunities 16
- 17. Negative Real-World Example:Social Media Feed Algorithms • Designed for engagement outrage & polarization • 2022 internal Meta research: 1 in 3 teenage girls felt worse about body image because of Instagram • Result: lower psychological QoL 17
- 18. Current Trend 1:Calm Technology & Digital Wellbeing • Apple Screen Time, Google Digital Wellbeing, Forest app • “Focus” modes, notification summaries (iOS 18+) • Goal: Technology that informs without demanding attention 18
- 19. Current Trend 2:AI-Powered Personal Assistants • ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini • Reduce cognitive load for planning, learning, decision-making • Risk: over-reliance, loss of critical thinking 19
- 20. Current Trend 3:Extended Reality (VR/AR) • Mental health therapy (VR exposure therapy for PTSD, phobias) • Pain management (SnowWorld for burn victims) • Social VR (Horizon Worlds, VRChat) for isolated individuals 20
- 21. Current Trend 4:Inclusive & Ethical Design • GenderMag, Microsoft Inclusive Design Toolkit • Bias detection in AI (facial recognition, voice assistants) • Global accessibility laws (European Accessibility Act 2025) 21
- 22. Ethical Considerations • Darkpatterns vs. ethical patterns • Addiction by design (slot-machine scrolling) • Data privacy vs. personalization • Digital divide – who gets left behind? 22
- 23. The Future: Brain-ComputerInterfaces (BCI) • Neuralink, Synchron, Kernel • Potential: • Restore movement/speech for paralyzed individuals • Direct knowledge transfer • New forms of empathy (thought sharing) • Risks: privacy of thoughts, inequality 23
- 24. Practical Checklist forQoL-Friendly HCI ✓ Does it respect user time? ✓ Does it reduce stress? ✓ Is it accessible by default? ✓ Does it encourage healthy behavior? ✓ Can the user understand and control it? ✓ Does it bring joy or meaning? 24
- 25. Key Takeaways • HCIis now a primary determinant of individual quality of life • Well-designed interfaces improve physical health, mental well-being, learning, and economic opportunity • Poorly designed interfaces can harm all of the above • The next decade will be defined by AI assistants, immersive realities, and brain interfaces • Designers and developers have ethical responsibility to prioritize human flourishing over pure engagement metrics 25
- 26. Final Thought “Technology shouldamplify the best parts of humanity, not the worst. The quality of our interfaces will shape the quality of our lives.” 26
- 27. References • Norman, D.A. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things (Revised and Expanded Edition). Basic Books. • Shneiderman, B., Plaisant, C., Cohen, M., Jacobs, S., Elmqvist, N., & Diakopoulos, N. (2016). Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction (6th ed.). Pearson. • Cooper, A., Reimann, R., Cronin, D., & Noessel, C. (2014). About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design (4th ed.). Wiley. • Weiser, M. (1991). The Computer for the 21st Century. Scientific American, 265(3), 94–104. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0991-94 • WHOQOL Group. (1998). The World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL): Development and general psychometric properties. Social Science & Medicine, 46(12), 1569–1585. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(98)00009-4 • Felce, D., & Perry, J. (1995). Quality of life: Its definition and measurement. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 16(1), 51–74. • Young, J. G., Trudeau, M. B., Odell, D., Marinelli, K., & Dennerlein, J. T. (2013). Wrist and shoulder posture in computer users with and without musculoskeletal symptoms. Applied Ergonomics, 44(3), 396–403. • Berolo, S., Wells, R. P., & Amick, B. C. (2011). Musculoskeletal symptoms among mobile hand-held device users and their perceived mental and physical health. Ergonomics, 54(10), 937–948. • Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2019). Media-based social media use is associated with increases in depression and anxiety among adolescents. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(3), 462–470. • Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2017). A large-scale test of the Goldilocks hypothesis: Quantifying the relations between digital- screen use and adolescents’well-being. Psychological Science, 28(2), 204–215. • Center for Humane Technology (2023–2025). Ledger of Harms. https://ledger.humanetech.com • Mark, G., Gudith, D., & Klocke, U. (2008). The cost of interrupted work: More speed and stress. Proceedings of CHI 2008, ACM. 27
- 28. References (2) • Csikszentmihalyi,M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row. • Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2009). Flow theory and research. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (pp. 195–206). • Primack, B. A., et al. (2017). Social media use and perceived social isolation among young adults in the U.S. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 53(1), 1–8. • Hunt, M. G., et al. (2018). No More FOMO: Limiting social media decreases loneliness and depression. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 37(10), 751–768. • Vesselen, L., et al. (2022). Learning a foreign language: A review of Duolingo studies. Language Learning, 72(3), 1–35. • Koedinger, K. R., et al. (2013). New potentials for data-driven intelligent tutoring system development and optimization. AI Magazine, 34(3), 27–41. • World Health Organization (2023). Global Report on Assistive Technology. • Microsoft Inclusive Design Toolkit (2024). https://inclusive.microsoft.design • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 (2024). W3C Recommendation. https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/ • Horton, S., & Quesenbery, W. (2014). A Web for Everyone. Rosenfeld Media. • https://www.slideteam.net/six-pillars-showing-infographics.html • https://www.uca.ac.uk/study/courses/msc-human-computer-interaction/ • https://www.fh-salzburg.ac.at/fileadmin/fhs_daten/studiengaenge/hci/documents/HCI_2025_Presentation.pdf 28
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