INLS 092- Emering Issues in Information Science

 

Artifact Refinement:

In our initial definition of our targeted artifact, we declared that we would be studying a wristwatch. Upon beginning our research and narrowing down our field of view towards our goals and intentions, we have refined what we are looking into quite a bit. We have decided to stick solely with wristwatches and not study the usage of pocket watches or clocks in other forms (other than on Cell Phones, which will be part of our research). Additionally, we will be looking at digital watches that feature an analog face as well since there seems to be so much variation in which one any given person might use currently.

 

 

Research Documentaton:

Over a period of about three days, the members of this group individually studied people out in public in varying areas around UNC's campus. By studying various ethnographic aspects of the people as they walked about in public, we have gathered a large sampling of data as follows:

Demographics:
College students of ages approximately 18-25, of both genders and a large selection of races.

Methods:
Observation from a distance of both mass public and small groups. Areas of interest included The Pit, the Student Union, and McCorkle Place.

Duration:
Approximately thirty minutes to one hour for each location.

Collected Data:

• Male-to-Female Ratio: Approx. 3:1
• Using only a watch: Approx. 12%
• Using only a cell phone: Approx. 45%
• Using both watch & cell phone: Approx. 40%
• Using neither watch nor cell phone: Approx. 3%
  
  

Noted Tendencies:

• People with only watches tended to either habitually refer to it or not look at it at all.
• People with only cell phones used them primarily for talking and some for sending text messages.
• Very few multi-function watches were seen. Ones that were noticed did not show evidence of extra-feature-usage.
• Females tend to use watches more for an accessory.
• People said their cell phone usually has more accurate time.
• Most people see a watch as a watch and nothing more- don't feel they would really use too many extra features on one, especially if it became bulky.

Interviews:

Q1- Do you have a phone? Do you have a watch? Do you prefer a phone or a watch to tell time? Why?
A1- No. Yes. Watch.  Telling time is what the watch is made for.  The cell phone is purpose is making phone calls.
A2- Yes.  Yes.  Doesn’t really matter.  Whichever is most accessible at the time.
A3- I use only a phone to tell time because I rarely forget my phone since its my main way to communicate with people and when i used to have a watch I always forgot it. Since I need my phone for voicemail and text messaging its just an extra plus that it has a clock.

Q2- If you have a watch, what features do you use? What kind of features would you like to have it do?
A1- Time and Date Classic watch.  Keep it simple but nice.  Date, Time, a diamond on for every number (1-12).  Night light button.  Rotating face.
A2- Just telling time and alarms.  What else should a watch do?
A3- Well I have watches but most don't work and are just for 'the look'.

Q3- Is a watch used more for function or more as an accessory?
A1- 50/50  I like it to be nice but also it has to be able to keep time correctly.  Half for show and Half for telling time.
A2-  Primarily for time, though I have a higher-end watch for special occasions.
A3- For show.

Q4- Do you wear a watch on the inside or the outside of your wrist?
A1- Outside.
A2- Outside.
A3- I'm not even sure. I think mostly on the inside.

Q5- What kind of band do you like (ie latch/clasp/elastic) and made out of what (leather/plastic/cloth)?
A1- Clasp and elastic, gold, Bulova.
A2- Elastic, aluminum (or whatever kind of metal they’re made out of).
A3- I like plastic bands that have holes like a belt does.

 

 

History:

This wristwatch dates back to the end of the Nineteenth Century when it was invented by Patek Philippe. Initially, it was considered to be a fashion accessory for women. It wasn't until the beginning of the Twentieth Century that a male Brazilian aircraft pilot needed an easier way to look at a time piece while flying that he obtained a wristwatch and it became more popular. This began the selling of watches to other men. In World War I, officers discovered that it was easier to look at their wrist than to keep up with an old-fashioned pocketwatch. Artillery and Infantry began using their timepieces in synchronization in order to conduct more exact attacks in a more precise manner. After the war, the infantry was allowed to keep the watches they had been issued, aiding its popularity as they re-entered civilian life.
Later more complex functions were added to watches to add to their appeal. Chronographs, moonphases, calendars, and more were slowly added over time. The first battery-powered watch, the Hamilton Electric 500, appeared in 1957, later followed by the first digital watch in 1970. Now watches are solar- and kinetically-powered, along with a few lesser-used variations. In addition, further features have been added, such as calculating devices, television remotes, and even flash memory storage for PCs.
Information courtesy of Wikipedia

Utility:

The use of watches has developed from a women's fashion accessory to a convenience to aircraft pilots, to vital pieces of equipment in battle, to a part of everyday life. With so many possible features today, it can be hard to distinguish what one might be used for next. A calculator watch can be used during a Math test instead of the large bulky calculator.  One can time how fast it takes to run a lap around a track with a watch.  If you do not know the date, a watch can be used to find that information quickly and without much effort.  Thus, the watch can lend a hand in reducing the items needed to function throughout the day.  The main and simple functions of a watch like time and date have been overseen because of the fast, growing production of the cell phone.  The cell phone generally has all of the features that a watch has, plus even more.  Cell phone users many times use their phones to tell the time and date more often than they use their watches.  In today’s society, we come back to watches being used more as an accessory instead of an instrument to tell time.

Style:

Whether or not a person uses the functions of a watch, its style almost always has to be appealing to that individual in order to entice them to purchase the watch to begin with.  Unlike many other products, watches do not have to be updated or otherwise upgraded (other than battery replacements).  A watch will always tell the time unless it needs that new battery.  A person’s personality, financial status, and dress attire may play a role in dictating what type of watch he or she will buy and wear. For example, a watch can range from a $3 candy dispenser prize to a $60,000 diamond and gold embezzled Jacob watch. Because of this, many individuals may own several watches, each of varying looks and designs. When a particular situation comes about, they may decide to use a specific watch to match what else they wear, or they may choose a more rugged watch that can take a beating if they are going to take part in harsh outdoor activities.

Networks:

People in general learn to use a watch when they are young, after they learn to tell time on an analog clock. Most students (between the ages of 18-25) who have a cell phone seem to use a watch more as a fashion accessory than to tell time as we have discovered above. The media has a big influence on this; in pop culture celebrities in movies and music videos are featured with very flashy or chic wristwatches, but they rarely are shown actually using that watch to tell what time it is. The watch is used to portray a certain degree of sophistication, income status, or just as a nice addition to match to an outfit. Females tend to have more of a variety of colors of watches (usually small and slender) , while males usually just have one general look (usually bigger and shinier).

Way of Life:

These days wristwatches do not tend to influence students' lives too much anymore. While there are still the select individuals that rely on it to ensure that they are on time for a meeting or not late to class, the vast majority either does not use one or wears it just as an accessory. While there are the people that spend a lot of effort and money on purchasing a watch for its distinct look, there are just as many (if not more) that find the cheapest watch available that at least resembles some form of style and uses it. While the wristwatch has a very large potential to make a difference in people's lives, it has begun to see the potential end to its life span in recent years as clocks are placed in inside our cars, on our microwave ovens, on our cell phones, and on our computers. The convenience of telling time is almost never an issue, and since today's world is so fast-paced, in many instances you would be hard-pressed to not find a way to tell time without needing it on your wrist nearby.