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Two new LOEWE focal points at the University of Kassel
The state of Hesse is funding two new research priorities at the University of Kassel with a total of 7.7 million euros. The two projects will focus on communication rules for the Internet age and the relationship between humans and animals.
"Always Online?" - Communication rules for the internet age
As part of the LOEWE research funding program, the state is setting up a research focus with a spokesperson role in Kassel for around 4.1 million euros. A "communication paradigm" is being researched and formulated: binding rules that enable a work-life balance in the Internet age.
Cell phones, e-mail and the Internet have revolutionized communication: Used correctly, they make communication more efficient and open up a variety of new applications. On the other hand, "always online" can also lead to the risk of overload. The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Stress Report 2012 shows that the majority of employees are now frequently forced to multitask at work. In March 2012, the DGB presented a study according to which more than a quarter of employees are also available to their employer in their free time. Psychology, sociology, business and now also politics are looking for ways to reduce the resulting psychological pressure.
Now a group of scientists from the fields of computer science, information technology, psychology, law and economics at the Universities of Kassel and Darmstadt are working on the "Always Online?" project to counter the downsides of new communication technologies in order to facilitate innovation. In particular, the aim is to create a new communication paradigm: rules on who should communicate or record what, when, how and how much. In addition, technical solutions are to be developed which, for example - similar to an e-mail spam filter - no longer allow certain information to reach the recipient, depending on the time and context.
For the project "Always Online? - A new communication paradigm for the communication society", the state of Hesse is setting up a LOEWE focus with a spokesperson role in Kassel and is supporting the project for an initial three years with around 4.1 million euros. This was announced by the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art on Thursday in Wiesbaden. "The establishment of the LOEWE focus enables us to analyze the causes and framework conditions of the new communication behavior in an interdisciplinary manner and to develop a technically, legally and not least psychologically viable paradigm for how the new communication possibilities can be used sensibly," explained Prof. Dr. Klaus David, Head of the Department of Communication Technology at the University of Kassel and coordinator of the project. He refers to Volkswagen: the VW works council recently decided that the company will no longer send emails to employees' smartphones after work. "This example shows: The need for such rules is great and growing. We hope that our concept will catch on and contribute to a change in behaviour in society that minimizes the risk of communication overload." The recommendations to be developed will initially apply to knowledge workers, but will be extended to other target groups in the long term and take account of future technical developments.
"The widespread use and rapid innovation of modern information and communication technology, particularly the internet and mobile telephony, are having a lasting impact on the modern information society," says David, describing the initial situation. "Technology makes it possible to communicate at any time, regardless of place and time. The same applies to the possibility of receiving information: any information, anywhere, anytime." According to David, the traditional social rules of communication no longer apply in the modern age of communication and information. The separation between work and private life is increasingly being abolished, both in terms of space and time.
The "Always Online?" project will start on January 1, 2014. The participating scientists and their areas of expertise are as follows Prof. Dr. Ralf Steinmetz and Dr. Doreen Böhnstedt (Multimedia Communication, TU Darmstadt), Prof. Dr. Klaus David (Communication Technology, University of Kassel), Prof. Dr. Alexander Roßnagel and Dr. jur. Silke Jandt (Public Law, Environmental and Technology Law, University of Kassel), Prof. Dr. Sandra Ohly (Business Psychology, University of Kassel), Prof. Dr. Ruth Stock-Homburg (Marketing and Human Resource Management, TU Darmstadt), Prof. Dr. Arno Wacker (Applied Information Security, University of Kassel).