Speaker:

Andrew Miller

Title:

 "Theory Meets Reality: Motivating Physical Activity in Adolescents Using Social Media"

Abstract:

Can social media help reduce adolescent obesity? Theories of social behavior change suggest social media could play a key role in fostering a 'new normal' around everyday fitness behaviors. Over the last several years, I've been studying how social computing technologies can affect everyday health behaviors. In this talk, I'll present the design, development and deployment of StepStream, a social pervasive health system for middle school students to share and encourage everyday fitness activity. StepStream is a multi-week pervasive health deployment consisting of an after school program, wireless pedometers and a social network site. I've used it to better understand how online social activity can motivate offline health behaviors in youth. In this talk, I'll show I designed the system in collaboration with students from a local participating school, and the lessons I've learned from this project.

Bio:

Andrew Miller (http://www.andrewmiller.net) is a PhD Candidate in Human-Centered Computing at Georgia Tech. With his advisor, Professor Elizabeth Mynatt, Andrew studies how social computing technologies can affect everyday health behaviors. He was recognized by the GVU as a 2012 Foley Scholar, and his most recent publication "Design Strategies for Youth-Focused Pervasive Social Health Games" won Best Student Paper at Pervasive Health 2013. Andrew holds a BA in Cognitive Science from Occidental College, and an MS-HCI from Georgia Tech.