Appendix > Case Study 2 > Technology and Authorship
In Text Story, family members were given a phone contact named "Wall" which allowed participants to send anonymous text messages to a shared space within the home. As a method for inputting data, the medium of a phone was chosen primarily because it fit the scope of the study that examined the influence of streaming media on families. But it was also chosen because it promoted self-authorship of the text-savvy children in the family. This choice was deliberate given that the intent of the intervention was to challenge traditional power relations and communication methods within the home.
In the exit-interview following the Text Story project, the Sun family acknowledged what those chose to text was influenced by the knowledge that their text messages were being monitored. On the other hand, they also felt inclined to text more knowing that these messages would one day be returned to them in the form of a book. This raises the question: What does it mean for the participant to reap the benefits of the research process?