Reflections & Design Recommendations

This project helped our group explore the dangers of becoming too dependent on an IoT object. Based on our discussions, we propose the following design recommendations:

• Don't replace human connection. Humans are social animals that need connection with others. IoT objects should enhance not replace this desire for connection
• Help users disconnect from their IoT products. Users can become very used to using a certain IoT object to the point that they develop an attachment to it. IoT objects should provide guidance and help users disconnect from these products when they don’t need them
• Encourage healthy growth. IoT objects can help sense and analyze a person's data. This data could be used to encourage the formation of healthy habits for its users
• Minimize the access to monitoring. Parents can use the blanket to monitor their kids activity and health. Although this is done in a protective manner, the data collected is an infringement of privacy from the child's perspective. Parents and adults should receive content from their kids and be allowed to only monitor them  at specific times
• Respect the unstructured development of kids. Kids learn in different ways, developing too much structure can create dependencies on products and have negative physiological effects on their social development