[researcher][0:00] This interview follows on from your two week participation in our study on Instagram and your usage on your mobile banking app. Thank you for completing the log book entries for the past two weeks. Today, we'll talk through some questions, reflections and feelings about your experience. Just a quick reminder that this interview is being recorded, as outlined in the consent form, if you have any concerns about that, please let me know. And of course, you are free to skip or not answer any questions that make you uncomfortable.
[researcher][0:31] So, to begin, could you tell me about your main hobbies or activities that you enjoy in your free time?
[participant][0:37] Yeah, so one activity I really enjoy, and I've been doing for a long time, is tennis. I try and play that as much as I can. I also think quite a lot of my hobbies and activities that I like to do kind of revolve around technology, as I do quite a lot of graphic design and stuff like that for fun in my free time, and sometimes not in my free time as well.
[researcher][1:00] Do you think your use of your mobile banking app or Instagram, either supports or interferes with any of these hobbies?
[participant][1:06] I think it sort of depends. Sometimes, I feel, particularly with Instagram, when I'm when doing stuff like graphic design, I can get good inspiration from from there, and sort of help learn through using social media. But when I should be being productive, I find that sometimes I can just get a bit stuck or glued to Instagram. I also think that, I can be wanting to do something, and then, I'll be on my banking app and just kind of become a little fixated and want to start changing different things and doing stuff, but then it also does help as well.
[researcher][1:46] Okay, so before starting this two week logbook period, how would you describe your typical interactions with Instagram and your mobile banking app?
[participant][1:57] I would say relatively healthy, at least compared to some of my friends. But I still think with Instagram, I think particularly at night, I can get stuck on it for quite a while. Like, I'll be needing to go to bed, but I'll just be like "oh yeah, just one more reel. Just one more reel" and I'll be like, "okay, well, I need to stay up now until this particular time" and then just kind of lose track of time. And with my banking app, I think it's just usual times, if I'm out and about and I'm wanting to make a purchase, I occasionally just check, you know, if I'm not 100% sure how my finances are looking. And when I'm at home, that's when I'll use the time to really do planning and moving stuff around, like my savings pots and investments, but definitely not when I'm when I'm out and about, I don't do that sort of stuff.
[researcher][2:48] So you talked about your usage of Instagram at night. Have you ever used screen time limits, or set similar controls on your phone?
[participant][2:56] I did for Instagram at one point. Yeah, I went through through a phase and wanted to put screen time limits on it to try and stop using it so much, because I just felt, as I said, that it was just becoming too much, and it was, it was messing with my sleep schedule and stuff. But I turned it off because I found it annoying [laugh], to be honest.
[researcher][3:18] Okay, so as you completed the logbook entries over the two weeks, did you begin to notice any emerging patterns in when or how you used each app?
[participant][3:28] Yeah, I think it was interesting to, because I've always felt like when I use Instagram and stuff, it probably is in moments when I'm not really doing anything, like if I'm just lying in bed or if I'm on public transport. But it was, it was interesting to me to see how much I actually did that. I noticed that when I was doing the logbook, I was like, "oh, this is another log where I, you know, I'm typing in that I'm on the metro". And so I think it was, it was interesting for me to actually go through the conscious proccess of typing it in, and seeing that, and I also realized that there were times where I would actually go straight from Instagram to my banking app if I had seen an advert.
[researcher][4:14] Okay, so you know your screen time was locked, so you couldn't see your screen time. So as a quick estimate, how much time do you think you spent on each app during the two weeks? And do you think this amount is more or less, or about the same compared to your normal usage.
[participant][4:34] I think on average, I probably spent about fifty minutes, or maybe an hour or so on Instagram each day. And for my banking app, it felt like it was quite a bit, maybe around twenty minutes, because I was wanting to do some investments. But I do think that in the last two weeks, I've maybe used my banking app a bit less than usual, just because I've not really been wanting or needing to look at my finances. So maybe a bit less than usual, but Instagram's should be around around normal.
[researcher][5:08] Okay, and across this two week period, what typically prompted you to open Instagram? And what prompted you open your banking app? Are there any differences or similarities?
[participant][5:18] So I think with Instagram, it was very much in those moments of when I wasn't doing anything, like if it was something that I had to spend time doing, like being on a metro and, you know, you can't really shorten that, and there was nothing else I could really do. That's when I find I'd be going to Instagram to just try and entertain myself while I was waiting. And my banking app, I would see something online that would be something relating to money, something I wanted to buy, or someone talking about financial planning. And then I would it would maybe make me a little anxious at times about my finances. And so I'd go on to my banking app and then start looking at stuff, sometimes it made me feel better, sometimes it made me feel worse, but at the same time, I also felt like I could do things that were productive and would help me plan for the future.
[researcher][6:10] You mentioned earlier about switching apps. That after you had seen an advertisement in Instagram and then opening your banking app. Do you have any other triggers that you can think of, for when you have had this transition?
[participant][6:26] I think it's a want versus a need, or a "can I have it" feeling. So, like, I'll see an advert, maybe for a piece of software or some new clothes, or a holiday for example, you know, a special deal or something, and then there'll be, a moment in my head where I'm like "maybe I can afford that", or "maybe I can try and make this work". Then I'll go to my banking app and it's mixed, sometimes I'm like, "oh, you know what, yeah, I feel like I can do that", then other times not. But I think it was definitely wanting a confirmation, even if I had a rough idea of how much money I had, being able to actually look at it and see it, was kind of necessary.
[researcher][7:07] Okay, so did you notice any emotional changes, before, during or after using Instagram or your banking app? If yes, can you think of any specific examples?
[participant][7:18] I think with Instagram, if I'm not bored, I don't feel like I use Instagram, if I'm enjoying what I'm doing, or if I'm doing something entertaining, or if I'm feeling productive when working, or whatever. I don't really find any temptation or want to open Instagram. So it's definitely, usually boredom that leads me there. But when I'm using it, I do feel in a state of being entertained, I feel focused on it. And then afterwards, I'll sort of be like, "oh, did the time really go like that? I need to, I need to get back to what I was doing." Or if it was a particular, like I was on the metro or in some other public transport I'll be like, "Oh, I need to get off for my stop now", and then I don't feel guilty about it, because it didn't feel like I could do anything else anyway. And with mobile banking, I would say at times, it would start with a bit of anxiety and then wanting to try and do something productive from that. So I'd like have a bit of anxiety, and then would want to do some planning and stuff. And would go on and do that, and I would usually feel better having done it.
[researcher][8:31] Were there any particular times of day when you noticed you were more or less likely to use either app?
[participant][8:37] I think with Instagram, it was in the moments when I was tired or I wasn't feeling in the mood to be productive or do something productive, and just wanted to switch my brain off for a bit. So it would be when I'd first wake up and my brain was still getting itself together, I'd usually find I open Instagram straight away. And also, as I said earlier, right before I'd go to bed, and thats when I could kind of get a bit stuck on it. I think with my banking app, it's usually never during the very start of the day or the very end. It's kind of like it's usually during the day, as if I'm wanting to buy something, or do a bit of planning or whatever, that would be during the day.
[researcher][9:21] Earlier, you estimated that your screen time for Instagram was an hour a day and your banking app was around twenty minutes a day. As you're aware, we recorded your actual usage, in the last two weeks, and you actually averaged an amount of an hour and ten minutes on Instagram and only seven minutes on your banking app per day.
[researcher][9:41] How does this information make you feel?
[participant][9:44] I mean, for Instagram, I was pretty close. It feels around average for me, it makes sense. It's maybe a little bit longer because I think you sort of get a bit lost in the time you spend on it, but I'm a bit surprised about the banking app. I felt like I spent more time on it than just, as you said, seven minutes a day on average, so that's a little surprising.
[researcher][10:09] Knowing you're actually usage, do you think participating in the study has influenced how you might use these apps in the future?
[researcher][10:18] Yeah, I think it's clear, based on the actual usage, and even my own estimation of it, that I think Instagram does take up a decent chunk of my time in my day where I could be doing other stuff, or reading a book or doing something like that. And so I think it's maybe time to put some screen controls on.
[researcher][10:40] And what do you think was the real reason that your banking app prediction was this far off?
[participant][10:47] I think it's because in the last two weeks, I've not really used my banking app so much, just because, it was a little bit ago that I paid my rent, and then now, as we've moved through the month, I'm sort of just in the middle period, and I've just not really been using it. Also I've not been going out either, and so I think I think that's probably part of it
[researcher][11:14] Okay. Lastly, was there anything else that you observed during the study that has not been covered in these questions and that feels relevant to this research?
[participant][11:26] I think one thing I noticed as well during the study was the other apps as well on my phone, that although aren't Instagram or my banking app, that I would spend too much time on those as well. And being in this study, and actually thinking about how long I was using each app, it bought attention to the other apps I use as well, and ones that are maybe not so productive as well.
[researcher][11:55] Thank you for your time to take part in this interview and I hope you have a nice evening.