ABSTRACT
As discussed in the rst chapter, which focuses on the history of human-computer interaction (HCI), the use of devices evolved with the increase of both users’ needs and the improvement in the relationship between users and technology. In particular, nowadays, the psychotechnologies for socialization (i.e., the Internet and communication technologies such as computers, mobile devices, and smart technologies) have reached an extensive and pervasive role in our work and lives, allowing users to access and manage information ubiquitously (Ark and Selker, 1999; Saha and Mukherjee, 2003; see also Chapter 3). According to Norbert Streitz, founder of the Smart Future Initiative (see Box 4.1), the use of smart mobile devices is increasingly displacing traditional ways of interacting (e.g., telephones or personal computers) because, in the pervasive interaction contexts, these technologies seem to be disappearing both physically and mentally.
