Negotiating leisure etiquette in the context of drones

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to explore leisure etiquette as negotiated through the lens of recreational drones. While drones have experienced spectacular growth in terms of sales and revenue, there remains very little known about how the nuances of recreational drone users negotiate codes of conduct to guide their leisure activities and behavior. Drawing from the overarching notion of leisure etiquette, this research explores the context of two groups of leisure drone users operating in Brisbane, Australia and Singapore. Through participant observation and social media content analysis, the research found that participants negotiated etiquette through three elements – Keeping time, sequence of flights and self-regulation of usage behavior. This research elucidates how leisure etiquette is better understood from the increased presence of recreational drones and offers practical steps for governance and regulations related to technologically-mediated leisure spaces.