Open Access

Lisa Waldenburger, Jeffrey Wimmer

• The spread of digital media and devices in public spaces, so-called self-service technology (SST), is reaching more and more areas, so that it is now possible to interact with them for example when shopping, ordering or sending parcels. The use of SST is mostly supposed to be self-explanatory and intuitive, nevertheless it implicitly presupposes a certain degree of technical literacy. If this is not the case, digital stress can be triggered. But how do people deal with these devices, what role does the presence of others, the device itself and how it works, and the situational context plays? What influence do the measures to deal with the Covid-19 virus and the pandemic-related constraints have on the nexus of device, users and situation? This was investigated qualitatively in the present study by conducting participant observations. The advantage of this methodological approach is the consideration of contextual factors of the different practices and the direct observation ofThe spread of digital media and devices in public spaces, so-called self-service technology (SST), is reaching more and more areas, so that it is now possible to interact with them for example when shopping, ordering or sending parcels. The use of SST is mostly supposed to be self-explanatory and intuitive, nevertheless it implicitly presupposes a certain degree of technical literacy. If this is not the case, digital stress can be triggered. But how do people deal with these devices, what role does the presence of others, the device itself and how it works, and the situational context plays? What influence do the measures to deal with the Covid-19 virus and the pandemic-related constraints have on the nexus of device, users and situation? This was investigated qualitatively in the present study by conducting participant observations. The advantage of this methodological approach is the consideration of contextual factors of the different practices and the direct observation of subjective evaluation processes on the use or even non-use of SST. This shows that characteristics of the devices – e.g. functionality, initiation and optionality – , situational contextual conditions – e.g. time and social pressure and spatial conditions –, and the subject themselves – e.g. age, routinisation and carried along baggage– play a role in dealing with SST and moderate the emergence of digital stress.…