Using technologies to maintain the social engagement of older adults living independently
Experiences from COVID-19
Project overview
This study aims to investigate how older adults have been using technologies to maintain social engagement, especially during COVID-19 lockdowns, and to understand their experiences and perceptions of technology-mediated social engagement.
Social engagement is a critical component of healthy ageing but is difficult to maintain when face-to-face interaction is restricted due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Other constraints such as mobility impairments can also limit older people’s opportunities to engage in social activities, especially for older people living independently (not in care facilities).
COVID-19 has created opportunities for activities to be organised in digital forms. To inform the design of future tools to support older adults’ social engagement, it is crucial to understand the innovative practices that enabled older adults to stay socially engaged, and to gain insight into older adults’ experiences with online social activities.
Key Questions:
• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the social engagement of older people
living independently?
• How have older adults been using technologies to maintain social engagement
during COVID-19?
• How do older adults perceive the use of technologies to maintain social engagement?
• How can the design of future technology-based systems or programs for older adults’ social engagement
be improved?
Key Findings
During the pandemic, different communication technologies and social media platforms were used creatively by older adults to sustain various types of social activities that used to take place in person, including arts, sports, cultural, and civic events. Participation in online social activities provided older adults with the opportunity to connect with like-minded people; share care, encouragement, and support; participate in civic agendas that inform decision-making; learn new things and develop skills; and experience entertainment, distraction, and mental stimulation.
Participants had diverse views on the transition from in-person social activities to online ones. Some felt that online social activities lack personal, intimate, and incidental interactions, and that online social activities are more rigid and difficult to manage. Others thought that online social activities are more convenient and easier for people to express themselves. Besides, when transferring in-person activities to online platforms, specific types of social activities worked better than others.
Based on the findings, we propose four levels of meaningful activities for older adults’ digital participation: Level 1: Communication and interaction with people; Level 2: Collaboration with people; Level 3: Lifelong learning enrichment; Level 4: Contributions to society. We also propose four design implications for the future design of technology and system for online social participation: integrating physical and material artefacts into online social activities; supporting more incidental and casual interactions; designing systems that are easier for activities to be facilitated and managed; and designing systems that work better for activities that require synchronous feedback.
More information
| Funding source | Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship & ARC Grant FT170100420 |
|---|---|
| Project time frame | June-November 2021 [completed] |
| Link to full paper | Understanding Older Adults' Participation in Online Social Activities |
