スマートフォンを使わずにいるよう擬人化キャラクタが働きかけるメッセージ通知システム

抄録

Smartphones are beneficial in various situations, such as searching for information, taking photographs, listening to music, and socializing. However, various problems related to smartphone overuse have also emerged. This study proposes a system that encourages users not to overuse their smartphones without forcibly restraining their behavior with usage restrictions and warnings. The proposed system notifies the user through an anthropomorphic character installed in the user’s smartphone, which sends messages to discourage excessive use of the smartphone. To imbue the character with personality, messages which encourage moderate use of the smartphone are complemented with messages of sympathy for the situation, suggestions for other actions, reprimands for overuse, and utterances about the character itself. The system was experimentally evaluated on 25 college students. The results showed that message notification by an anthropomorphic character can improve users’ motivation to reduce their smartphone use.