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Negotiating Water Cooler Conversations Remotely: Perspectives from PhD Students During COVID-19

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HCI International 2023 – Late Breaking Papers (HCII 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 14054))

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Abstract

Brief, spontaneous and informal interactions (also called water cooler conversations) are essential for achieving both productive and social goals but are often poorly supported by common computer-mediated communication technologies. During the unexpected, widespread move to remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people were suddenly forced to rely more, if not entirely, on technologies to meet their communication needs. To further explore how people engaged in informal communication during COVID-19 and the challenges they faced, we conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 16 PhD students. Results revealed challenges in maintaining remote informal conversations (such as lack of availability information and opportunities for interactions before, during and after activities), which sometimes led participants to refrain from communicating online, and intensified their mental health issues such as those around social isolation. Experiences of remote informal communication shaped by novel challenges pointed to important design implications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cornell University, Ithaca, 14850, USA

    Xiaoyan Li & Susan R. Fussell

Authors
  1. Xiaoyan Li
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  2. Susan R. Fussell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaoyan Li .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Open University of Japan, Chiba, Japan

    Masaaki Kurosu

  2. Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan

    Ayako Hashizume

  3. Aaron Marcus and Associates, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Aaron Marcus

  4. World Usability Day and Bubble Mountain Consulting, Newton Center, MA, USA

    Elizabeth Rosenzweig

  5. Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

    Marcelo M. Soares

  6. Coventry University, Coventry, UK

    Don Harris

  7. Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK

    Wen-Chin Li

  8. Soar Technology Inc., Orlando, FL, USA

    Dylan D. Schmorrow

  9. Katmai Government Services, Orlando, FL, USA

    Cali M. Fidopiastis

  10. Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

    Pei-Luen Patrick Rau

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Li, X., Fussell, S.R. (2023). Negotiating Water Cooler Conversations Remotely: Perspectives from PhD Students During COVID-19. In: Kurosu, M., et al. HCI International 2023 – Late Breaking Papers. HCII 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14054. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48038-6_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48038-6_9

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-48037-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-48038-6

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