I - Annual Congresses

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Browsing I - Annual Congresses by Author "Abd Elmagid, Sarah"

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    Е-campus space revisiting the life and death of the campus urban life
    (AESOP, 2017) Abd Elmagid, Sarah; ElAdas, May; Abdellatif, Ayman
    How has Wi-Fi and smartphones changed the excitement of the Campus urban space? To what extent has it de-engaged students from themselves and their surrounding? How has the culture of smart phones affected the on-campus communication style in public spaces among the younger generation? The study is a continuation of the dialogue generated by Keith Hampton, Lee Humphreys and others on the impact of mobile phones in public spaces. However, it chooses to focus on ME Gulf City Campus Life. Campus life has traditionally been one of the most memorable and engaging experiences of student life. The common age-group, shared major of study, interest and common agenda has branded the university life to become so memorable in the development and growth of a student, perhaps so much more than any other urban space in the city. Ever since the introduction of virtual space, that aspect seems to have changed. This study aims to investigate the effects of smart phones on how people interact, connect and perceive campus urban spaces. It investigates some aspects of the culture of smart phones on the design of urban spaces. These aspects of how people connect and perceive urban spaces, their cognitive abilities, communication skills, behaviour and face to face interactions are just few effects of smart phones in shaping the identity of people and places. The study finally investigates whether the design of the space affects how people use their phones or are there other factors that play a role in that. For this research, the students of the American University of Sharjah (AUS) are surveyed for the case study. The findings include insights about what motivates people to use their phones in public spaces and how physical elements of a space such as the provision of various seating options, soft-scape, good views, etc. would affect the likelihood of using smart phones.