How can gaps in human-technology interaction be closed to allow older people to participate in digital solutions?
K. Paldán
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AbstractAge is heterogeneous and digital skills vary. Nevertheless, it is still evident that the usability of digital technologies is less pronounced among older people compared to younger people and that older people in particular are affected by the digital gap (e.g. Boot 2023, Neves, Mead 2020, McDonough 2016). Digital solutions continue to pose challenges for older people in particular. The digital gap can be closed by improving human-technology interaction. It is not only important to make technologies more user-friendly, but also to strengthen the human factor and its skills in dealing with technologies. The postulated thesis is that both are needed to promote a self-determined, safe, accepted and therefore effective use of digital technologies and to achieve a good user experience.
On the one hand, the ability to use technologies competently can help to prevent emergency situations, for example by controlling smart home technologies for shading, ventilation and drinking reminders on hot days. On the other hand, technologies can help to recognize emergency situations and initiate automated actions. However, automatically initiated actions are not sufficient for all emergency situations. Human actions and decisions are needed, which requires speed of action in dealing with digital tools in catastrophic and stressful situations.Keywords: assistive robots, multi-functionality, usability, digital literacy, smart home technologies, active assisted living, digital gap
K. Paldán (2024). How can gaps in human-technology interaction be closed to allow older people to participate in digital solutions?. Gerontechnology, 23(2), 3-3
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2024.23.s.1137.3.sp