Smart home technologies are increasingly used worldwide to monitor and control various aspects of daily life. However, a growing concern has emerged regarding the impact of these devices on domestic workers, who often find themselves under constant surveillance.

Researchers from King’s College London have conducted a study that reveals the unsettling truth about smart home devices being used to monitor domestic workers in China. The study, which involved interviews with 26 domestic workers and five recruitment agencies, highlights how employers are using these technologies to exert control over their employees, undermining their privacy and safety.

The researchers found that many domestic workers felt like they were under constant observation, with cameras and sensors installed in every room of the smart home. Some reported not being informed about the presence of cameras, while others discovered them hidden in bookshelves or disguised as other devices.

The constant feeling of being watched had a profound impact on the mental wellbeing of these domestic workers. Many felt uneasy, anxious, and even trapped in their own homes. The researchers concluded that this level of surveillance amounts to mental abuse, undermining trust and affecting workplace interactions.

Furthermore, the study revealed how smart home technologies exacerbate existing power imbalances between workers and employers. Employers can use these devices to monitor workers’ performance, track their movements, and even make decisions about their employment based on data collected from the devices.

The researchers highlighted that while many domestic workers recognized the need for safety, especially when caring for babies, the absence of clear communication from employers about the purpose of monitoring sparked distrust and discomfort. They recommended that domestic worker agencies integrate privacy education into training programmes for workers to understand their rights and establish transparent communication and contractual agreements regarding surveillance practices.

The study was conducted by researchers from King’s College London, along with collaborators from the University of St Andrews and the China Academy of Art, Hangzhou. The findings suggest that this issue is not unique to China but may be affecting migrant domestic workers worldwide.

In conclusion, the use of smart home technologies to monitor domestic workers raises significant concerns about their safety and privacy. The researchers’ recommendations provide a starting point for policymakers and agencies to address these challenges and ensure that domestic workers are protected from exploitation. As technology continues to advance, it is crucial that we prioritize human rights and dignity in the development and implementation of smart home devices.

The study led by researchers at the Columbia Butler Aging Center and the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health has unveiled a groundbreaking framework for rethinking political decision-making – drawing inspiration from how the human body maintains stability and health.

By using simulations modeled after physiological systems, the researchers explored how networked structures of decision-makers can be designed to balance democratic values, efficiency, and technical limitations. The findings are published in the npj Complexity, a Springer Nature publication.

“Many existing political systems are inefficient, unstable, or undemocratic,” said Alan Cohen, PhD, associate professor in the Butler Columbia Aging Center, and Principal Investigator on the study. “In our simulations, we found that while no single structure is perfect, some governance models are clearly more effective than others.”

Cohen explains that the human body – honed by billions of years of evolution – offers a powerful analogy for organizing complex decision-making. “Our physiological systems constantly integrate signals and make decisions that maintain equilibrium. We applied a similar logic to political structures,” he said.

The research focused on a model where small, interconnected subgroups operate within larger populations, allowing decisions to emerge through a structured, bottom-up process. This network-based model enables populations to make complex decisions efficiently while still reflecting the will of the broader group.

“Our findings highlight the value of decentralized, structured decision-making,” noted Cohen, who is also associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. “The way these groups are organized – and the connections between them – can fundamentally shape the outcomes.”

Despite the promise of the model, Cohen emphasizes that several important questions remain: How large should decision-making groups be? How should participants be selected? How many connections – or “bridges” – should exist between groups?

“There are also behavioral dynamics to consider,” Cohen added. “What happens when some individuals dominate the discussion or refuse to reconsider their positions?”

Other critical dimensions, such as public satisfaction with decisions and the system itself, are more challenging to incorporate into the model but are vital for real-world applications. The potential for innovation – how group discussions spark novel solutions – also remains an open area for future study.

“While challenges remain, our research shows that a complex systems and modeling approach to governance offers a powerful lens through which to understand and improve decentralized decision-making,” said Cohen. “This could open the door to more resilient, adaptive political systems in the future. This first study is a proof-of-concept: it shows that we can derive models of effective governance inspired by biological networks. Future work will illuminate the best ways to do that.”

The excessive consumption of alcohol among young adults, particularly college students, poses significant health risks and social consequences. Heavy drinking can lead to blackouts, academic underperformance, interpersonal problems, and secondhand consequences for those who don’t drink, such as interrupted study sessions or having to care for intoxicated peers.

Recently, researchers from Brown University School of Public Health developed an innovative intervention called Counter-Attitudinal Advocacy (CAA). This approach involves advocating for a position that contradicts a personally held attitude or behavior. In the context of college drinking, CAA targets positive perceptions of heavy drinking and the belief that alcohol is an essential part of college life.

A randomized controlled trial at two sites involving 585 college students compared CAA to Personalized Normative Feedback (PNF), a well-established intervention. Researchers focused on drinks per week, a standard measure given the irregular drinking patterns of college students.

The results showed that participants who received PNF reported significantly fewer drinks per week than the control group, while those who received CAA reported significantly fewer consequences related to drinking. Notably, CAA had a harm reduction effect on consequences but not on consumption of alcohol, which it did not target.

According to co-lead investigator Kate Carey, “Both interventions take just 5-10 minutes, making them ideal for broad prevention efforts.” Carey emphasized that PNFs show participants how their drinking habits stack up against those of their peers, often exposing a common misconception that others drink more than they actually do. In contrast, CAA encourages participants to reflect on why it is a good idea to avoid alcohol-related problems and identify specific actions to minimize these risks.

CAA’s personalized approach frames the discussion broadly, focusing on why young people should avoid problems rather than directly telling them what to do. This makes the intervention more engaging and less confrontational. As participants respond to prompts, a research assistant or peer asks them to explain their written responses, which likely strengthens the intervention’s effect.

The researchers stress that having multiple brief interventions is essential since no single approach works for everyone. Offering evidence-based options increases the chances of reaching more people who are undergoing a period of heightened risk. With CAA providing another effective tool, especially for those who may not respond to PNF, this new approach holds promise in reducing college-aged drinking harms.