Michael Thomas Knierim, Thimo Schulz, Moritz Schiller, Jwan Shaban, Mario Nadj, Max Wilson & Alexander Mädche (2026). Flow on Social Media? Rarer Than You'd Think.

Researchers often attribute social media's appeal to its ability to elicit flow experiences of deep absorption and effortless engagement. Yet prolonged use has also been linked to distraction, fatigue, and lower mood. This paradox remains poorly understood, in part because prior studies rely on habitual or one-shot reports that ask participants to directly attribute flow to social media. To address this gap, we conducted a five-day field study with 40 participants, combining objective smartphone app tracking with daily reconstructions of flow-inducing activities. Across 673 reported flow occurrences, participants rarely associated flow with social media (2 percent). Instead, heavier social media use predicted fewer daily flow occurrences. We further examine this relationship through the effects of social media use on fatigue, mood, and motivation. Altogether, our findings suggest that flow and social media may not align as closely as assumed - and might even compete - underscoring the need for further research.

The CHI conference, organized by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), is the leading venue in the field of human-computer interaction. We look forward to engaging in fruitful discussions at the conference.

The Master’s course provided students with a comprehensive overview of Responsible AI and introduced diverse concepts and approaches for designing and applying AI systems in a fair, explainable, and ethically responsible manner. Participants engaged with current challenges and best practices in the development and governance of AI-based systems.

The Information Systems Seminar offered both Bachelor’s and Master’s students the opportunity to write their seminar papers at our chair on current, relevant topics in the Information Systems discipline. The seminar encouraged students to contribute to ongoing research conversations.

We would like to thank all participants for the fruitful exchange!

The guest speakers were:

• Dorothee Poß, Team Lead Advanced Analytics
• Julian Wishahi, Head of Data Science & ML CoE
• Christian Schillinger, VP Data & Analytics 

The session offered in-depth perspectives on the practical use of AI in retail, including predictive pricing, customer activation, and foot measurements. 

We sincerely thank all three speakers for their engaging contributions and for bridging academic learning with cutting-edge industry practice.

All organizational information will be presented in the first lecture (17.10.2025; Start: 10-11:30 am; Room: V15 R03 H93). 

Further information about the lecture can be found here.

You can apply individually or in groups, by using our online application form. Application in groups requires choosing a unique group keyword for identification. The application form is open until 07.10.2025 at 23:59. If you have any further questions or would like more details about a specific project, please reach out to the contact person listed for the project you are interested in.

We invite you to apply at our Chair and look forward to working with you in the coming winter semester.  

"Beyond the Unicorn? Job Roles in Data Science" Jonas Gunklach, Mario Nadj, Sven Michalczyk, Katharina Jacob, Christoph Gröger, and Alexander Mädche (2025) https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-025-00954-2

The demand for qualified professionals with skills in data science continues to grow. Yet, the evolving complexity of the field often results in unclear role definitions. This study addresses the issue by systematically reviewing academic literature and analyzing 16,348 job postings through text mining to map out the landscape of roles and the required skills to conduct data science successfully. This research offers organizations a means to understand, structure, and staff their data science efforts more effectively in order to maintain a competitive edge.

• Tsovinar Chugaszyan, SAP Campus Ambassador and former Product Manager, shared a compelling overview of SAP's innovation management approach, emphasizing how methodologies like Design Thinking are used to foster the possibilities of technology and the requirements for business success.
• Dr. Uday Kanike, Product Manager at SAP, highlighted the company’s AI portfolio, illustrating how artificial intelligence is embedded across SAP’s offerings to support intelligent enterprise solutions.
• André Biener, Director of SAP University Alliances, complemented the session by introducing SAP’s academic collaboration programs, demonstrating how the initiative supports students and educators through access to SAP systems, learning resources, and global networks.

We thank all three speakers for their engaging presentations and for connecting academic learning with cutting-edge industry practice.

The Paper Award, named after Internet pioneer Vinton G. Cerf, honors outstanding contributions that demonstrate innovation, relevance, and rigor.