Benefits and hurdles for older adults in intergenerational online interactions

Abstract

In order to foster the relationship between geographically distant grandparents and grandchildren, a prototype of an online platform is developed in an Ambient Assisted Living project. After identifying relevant attributes in the requirements analysis together with older adults and experts for children, we conducted two rounds of user studies in a laboratory setting with older adults. In the studies we were not only interested in the usability of the platform and the older participants' computer skills, but especially in the experiences the older users have when interacting with and via the platform. As expected, we found a relation between self-rated computer skills and the usability problems. However, the skills were not decisive for experiencing the interaction regarding curiosity, engagement, social connectedness and social presence. Finally, implications for the design of socially connecting online platforms are presented. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.