ICTs in the Rush Hour of Life

In the Netherlands, many women have entered the labor market in the last two decades. This development—among other social changes—has resulted in substantial shifts in the time that Dutch people spend on paid labor and “caring tasks ” on the one hand and leisure activities on the other hand. This task combination has caused serious time pressure and coordination problems among dual-income families with children. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to label this stage of life as the “rush hour of life.” In this article the � ndings of a small-scale qualitative case study among these “busy ” households are presented. The objective of this study is to describe and analyze patterns of acceptance and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), especially telecommunication technologies, in the context of the everyday life of these households. The question is raised whether ICTs can be a solution to time pressure and coordination problems. Theoretically,