Intergenerational Engagement within Immersive Environments: A Scoping Literature Review

Abstract

In an era marked by global dispersion and aging populations, creating meaningful connections among people from different generations has become increasingly important. Immersive environments (IE), encompassing virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) provide digitally simulated spaces where users can interact with virtual or physical elements, offering a promising approach to facilitate intergenerational engagement. This review followed the PRISMA framework, comprehensively searching Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest, identifying key studies relevant to this topic. An analysis of the papers shows that IE demonstrates potential for enhancing social bonds, facilitating reciprocal knowledge sharing between generations and improving social well-being for people of all ages through storytelling, heritage sharing, and gamification. However, challenges such as limited technology access, sensory and cognitive barriers, and privacy concerns need to be addressed. This paper serves as a resource to understand IE’s potential and suggests future research directions in this emerging field.