Tom Egill Tobiassen hardly ever has a free afternoon. He is a father of two, coaches both an e-sports team and an ice hockey team, and leads a KRIK group on Friday evenings. Although Tobiassen hasn’t had a holiday yet, everyday life has suddenly become more relaxed. “Ping!” As a father of young children, Tom Egill Tobiassen’s mobile phone often rings. Photo: Willem Leendertse – It’s been crappy weather ever since the summer holidays started, but there hasn’t been a single notification, and there’s peace of mind, says Tobiassen. The father, the coach and the KRIK leader talk about the Spond app. A well-known app for any parent of young children, or member of a sports team. What is Spond? Spond is a Norwegian app that aims to simplify organization for clubs, teams and groups. The app is particularly popular in children’s sports, and allows coaches and team managers to communicate with both players and parents. – Spond is, so to speak, dead after 20 June. It’s a real holiday, says Tobiassen. He has many irons in the fire, and is thus a member of many Spond groups. Notifications come in from the 13 different sub-groups he is a part of. As dad, coach and KRIK leader, Tobiassen has to be part of 13 Spond groups. Photo: Willem Leendertse Lost sock message reaches 160 members The Spond app usually pings hundreds of times in a week. – The icing on the cake is when Berit’s son has forgotten his sock in the dressing room, and 160 men will be notified about it. And Kåre replies: “Yes, I think Jonas might have it in his bag.” and then 160 men get a new notification, says Tobiassen. Tobiassen believes that it is not entirely the Spond app’s fault, but rather how we use it. – We have made it such a nightmare app where you get an insane amount of alerts and notifications. It has simply gone against its purpose that we should have an easier everyday life, says Tobiassen. Tobiassen hopes for a better alternative than today’s Spond. Photo: Willem Leendertse He proposes a Spond dictatorship. No one should be able to discuss and send messages in the channels. Only registration and messages from the group administrator must be allowed. – I know I’m joking and laughing, but it’s actually too much. It’s just not fun. It kills a lot of the joy, says Tobiassen. Do you spend a lot of time on the Spond app? Way too much😫 Good thing it’s a holiday! A little. But it makes everyday life easier to organize😊 Never heard of the app😅 Show result Not everyone agrees Christina Eriksen Nilsson’s calendar says holiday. She also has to admit that it is nice to be Spond-free during the summer holidays, but is still more positive about the app. – Here we write down everything that is going to happen, says Nilsson. Photo: Willem Leendertse – As a mother, I think there is a lot to follow at Spond. But I think it’s the best channel we have to get everyone involved and get all the information out, says Nilsson. Like Tobiassen, she has busy afternoons. Nilsson is the mother of three boys. Tomorrow she is going to volunteer for Sandnes BMX, where two of the boys ride bikes, and she herself sits on the board. Christine Eriksen Nilsson does not completely agree with Tobiassen’s criticism. Photo: Willem Leendertse In contrast to Tobiassen, she believes Spond is helpful in a hectic everyday life. – It is a help, I think. Because it varies with training times, so if you’re unsure, it’s there. It is always very up-to-date and relatively easy to find information if you know what you are looking for, says Nilsson. An inclusive app – Everyone can have the opportunity to participate, says Nilsson. With Spond, you don’t need to be connected to another social medium. For Nilsson, that is a plus. – We know that people and families are different. Not all children are allowed or should be on social media. Not all adults either want or have any interest in being there. And then you fall outside, explains Nilsson. Nilsson is also in many Spond groups. Photo: Willem Leendertse The psychologist’s explanation: – Parents of small children live in hidden stress. A stress that you don’t always notice. Because it happens in different arenas. A little at work, a little at leisure, and a little at home, explains psychologist Peter Strassegger. He is not surprised when he hears Tobiassen’s experiences. – We expect parents of young children to be logged in at all times, explains psychologist Strassegger. Photo: Maja Hattvang Nevertheless, he clarifies that it is not only the Spond app’s fault. – It is the sum of it that makes the cup run over for some, explains Strassegger. Sympathy from Spond Daniel Mathiesen is product director at Spond. It is Mathiesen who designs the app and decides how it is used. – As a father of two myself, I fully understand that there can be many messages/alerts and a lot of information to take in both in Spond and on other surfaces, writes Mathiesen. Daniel Mathiesen is product director at Spond. Photo: Spond The product director explains that Spond has over one million active users in Norway, and that the vast majority are satisfied. – Although we have already made several improvements and have more on the way, we will continue to optimize the user experience, writes Mathiesen. According to the product director, several updates will be rolled out that will make it easier for the user to adjust notifications. Published 06.08.2024, at 20.14
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