arXiv subjects

Sujay Shalawadi

Publications and source records attributed to Sujay Shalawadi.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Legally Mandated, but Still Inaccessible: Digital Tensions in Older Adults' Use of Norwegian Web Services

Norway is among the most digitalized countries in the world, where access to essential services increasingly depends on digital systems. Although universal design of ICT is legally required across public and private sectors, ensuring cognitive accessibility for older adults involves more than technical compliance. We analyzed responses from 294 participants aged 55 to 90 to examine the barriers they encounter when using digital services. Our findings identify four tensions, namely navigational, semantic, procedural, and temporal, which reveal how accessibility barriers emerge through misalignments between service design, system assumptions, and older adults' capabilities. Together, these tensions show that checklist-based compliance does not necessarily translate into lived accessibility when engaging with mandatory or near-mandatory digital services. We discuss the need to move beyond minimum compliance frameworks toward accessibility approaches that better support older adults' independent participation in digital society.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2026

Who Gets to Interpret the Workout? User Tensions with AI-Generated Fitness Feedback

Fitness tracking platforms increasingly integrate generative AI to interpret activity data, such as Strava's Athlete Intelligence. These integrations raise questions about how athletes engage with AI-supported fitness self-tracking. We analyzed 297 Reddit threads and 5,692 comments from r/Strava following the company's launch of AI features to examine user reactions to AI-generated fitness feedback. Our findings revealed four recurring tensions: (1) numerical evaluation versus contextual understanding; (2) isolated session summaries versus ongoing training narratives; (3) a fixed AI tone versus diverse emotional states; and (4) a single AI voice versus different athletic types. Across these tensions, users resisted AI feedback that constrained interpretations of their own lived experiences. These findings shed light on the implicit challenges of integrating AI into self-tracking platforms. We conclude with implications for the design of AI-supported self-tracking systems that preserve interpretive openness and user agency.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2026

DataCrumb: A Physical Probe for Reflections on Background Web Tracking

Cookie banners and privacy settings attempt to give users a sense of control over how their personal data is collected and used, but background tracking of personal information often continues unnoticed. To explore how such invisible data collection might be made more perceptible, we present DataCrumb, a physical probe that reacts in real-time to data tracking with visual and auditory feedback. Using a research-through-design approach, we deployed the artifact in three households and studied participants' responses. Instead of providing details about what data was being tracked, the artifact introduced subtle disruptions that made background data flows harder to ignore. Participants described new forms of awareness, contradiction, and fatigue. Our findings show how sensory feedback can support reflection by drawing attention to tracking data flows that are usually hidden. We argue for designing systems that foster awareness and interpretation, especially when the users' control and understanding are limited.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

Exploring Plural Perspectives in Self-Tracking Technologies: Trust and Reflection in Self Tracking Practices

Contemporary self-tracking technologies (STTs), such as smartwatches and smartphone apps, allow people to become self-aware through the datafication of their everyday lives. However, concerns are emerging over the global north/Western portrayal of the self in the envisionment of STTs. Given the call to diversify participant samples in HCI knowledge building, we see it timely in understanding the influence of ubiquitous STTs in global south societies. We conduct a between-group analysis of 156 and 121 participants from Global North and South through two iterative surveys, respectively. We uncover significant differences in perceived trust with their STTs and reflection practices between the groups. We provide an empirical understanding on advocating for inclusive design strategies that recognize diverse interpretations of STTs and highlight the need to prioritize local values and flexibility in tracking to foster deeper reflection across cultures. Lastly, we discuss our findings in relation to the existing literature and highlight design recommendations for future research.

cs.HC↗