SHENZHEN, July 2, 2025– The College of Management at Shenzhen University (Shenzhen) successfully concluded its 2025 Young Scientist Forum series on July 1st with a presentation exploring surprising findings about mobile app push notifications. The forum, held at the university, attracted over 30 faculty and student participants from various institutions.
Keynote Research: Challenging Push Notification Assumptions
Dr. Zemin Zhong, Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, presented his research on the impact of push notification timing on user engagement. Contrary to the common belief that notifications sent when a user's screen is active ("screen-on" pushes) are more effective, Dr. Zhong's team discovered these notifications actuallydecreasedaily app logins.
Using a regression discontinuity design (RDD) with proprietary data from a major Chinese push service provider, the study revealed this negative effect was particularly pronounced among younger users. "Our findings suggest real-time, behaviourally targeted notifications can backfire, potentially reducing user engagement," explained Dr. Zhong, whose work is published in leading journals likeMarketing ScienceandManagement Science.
Engaged Discussion on Practical Implications
The presentation sparked a lively Q&A session. Dr. Zhong clarified that the data encompassed both reservation-based and live-streaming apps, with consistent results across contexts. When asked about younger users' heightened sensitivity, he suggested, based on behavioral economics, it might relate to greater privacy concerns in this demographic. He also detailed the technical mechanism triggering pushes upon screen activation and emphasized how the RDD methodology helped isolate the effect from confounding factors.
Forum Conclusion and Series Impact
Professor Xingyu Chen, Vice Dean of the College of Management, closed the event, highlighting the forum's role in advancing the discipline and addressing practical challenges. He also expressed hopes for future collaboration opportunities.
This final session capped off the semester's Young Scientist Forum series, a platform featuring both established scholars ("Big Names") and early-career researchers ("Young Scholars"). The series aims to foster academic exchange, identify new research directions through cutting-edge topics, and enhance the College's research ecosystem and appeal to top talent. Attendees gained valuable insights into mobile app engagement strategies, offering new perspectives for developers and industry practitioners.
