Could the Inherent Nature of the Internet of Things Inhibit Person-to-Person Connection?

The industry of the Internet of Things (IoT) is impacting the way we experience life as we know it. The IoT is making technology more pervasive and more embedded in our environment. This is driving a need to identify and understand the human values that are implicated by this technology and how those values are enacted when that technology is used in different contexts. This paper describes a project that explored the use of IoT technology to help foster a sense of community across residents in a multistory residential complex. Our design process revealed that, in a context shared by many, concerns and perceptions related to the monitoring capabilities of IoT technologies and/or the visualisation of the collected data represent a major issue when designing systems meant to engage people, even if that engagement is person to person. Therefore, the inherent nature of IoT technology may inhibit the establishment of a person-to-person connection.