2
B A C K G R O U N D
sports, a worrisome indicator on how disconnected we have become
[22].
Social support from family and friends has also been positively
related to regular physical activity [14]. In turn, an early involvement
in sports clubs can increase the trust children exhibit towards other
people [7].
The reasons why people are motivated to participate in physical
activity are manifold [13]. It has been reported that for young people,
team atmosphere, fitness, skill development, friendship, achievement
and fun seem dominant motivations across multiple studies.
2.2
Physical Activities and Computers
The concept of fun as a motivational factor has gained increased
attention lately, and has emerged into the domain of human-
computer interface design, where it is a growing area of inquiry [23].
Leisure activities, based around the concept of social engagement,
could potentially be suitable environments to create bonds between
people that have to work in a team. Such "entertaining" interfaces
could serve as an initial starting point for building strong
collaborations, before more traditional Computer Supported
Cooperative Work (CSCW) interfaces are utilized to perform a
specific task.
Most of these entertaining interfaces, however, are only to be found
in game arcades. There is skateboarding, snowboarding, boxing,
even fishing. They all try to combine a known fun, physical
experience with a computer game, but fall short in terms of social
interaction, because most of them can only be played alone against a
virtual computer opponent and do not support the creation of teams.
The sensor technology is also inadequate. For example in a boxing
game, a hit is a hit; the intensity of the input does not matter. You see
people lightly tapping their glove in an unmotivated fashion, just
because they get the same points as they would if they hit it hard
[24].
Boxing
Exertion Interfaces: Sports over a Distance for Social Bonding and Fun
28
Summary :
2.2 Physical Activities and Computers The concept of fun as a motivational factor has gained increased attention lately, and has emerged into the domain of human- computer interface design, where it is a growing area of inquiry [23]. Such "entertaining" interfaces could serve as an initial starting point for building strong collaborations, before more traditional Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) interfaces are utilized to perform a specific task.
Tags :
people,computer,social,physical,fun,interfaces,sports,hit,game,boxing,entertaining,support,only