Persuasive technologies and digital wellness : Positive effects on end users' time management skills and overall productivity

Abstract: The consistent growth in smartphone adoption together with the easy accessibility to internet usage on such devices, led to a shift in the development of personal technologies. The main change concerns devices that seek to capture user attention to those that aim to improve user well-being. Digital wellness, which entails all preventative measures aimed at regulating and improving the healthy use of technology, has therefore become of crucial importance in the development of such technologies, since their primary metric of success is influencing user behaviour. This paper answers the research question “Can persuasive technologies, especially digital wellness technologies, positively affect end users' time management skills and overall productivity?”. The theoretical background of this research investigates different definitions of persuasive technologies. McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y is subsequently analysed to give the research a corporate background. Eventually, the analysis of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, allows to identify two of the main variables of the study, end users' time management skills and overall productivity, as growth needs (B-needs) for individuals. Based on the research strategy, an online survey has been designed to get information via a questionnaire and investigate correlation between the main variables of the study, persuasive technologies and their positive effect on the users' time management skills and overall productivity level. Amongst the 108 respondents, 45% (n=49) uses its smartphones for an average of 4+ hours per day, and 68% (n=73) has not set any time limit for apps on their smartphones. However, 76% of the sample (n=82) is aware of the impact smartphones/wearable technologies have on their overall level of wellbeing, and 57% (n=61) believes Smartphones/wearable technologies help them to achieve their goals. This study provides empirical evidence that persuasive technologies can improve time management skills and overall productivity levels amongst its end users. Moreover, around 60% of the sample (n=62) would rely on a behaviour-effecting platform to achieve personal growth and improve their overall level of well-being.