Abstract
The growing presence of digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities for older adults, yet raises concerns around the digital divide, trust, and social inclusion. This exploratory study examines how older adults perceive and engage with technology through a community-based approach. Data were collected from 106 participants using a mixed-method design that combined the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to assess adoption factors with narrative storytelling to capture contextual experiences. Centring participants’ voices, the study identifies emotional, social, and contextual factors shaping technology engagement. Findings highlight the importance of relational trust, social learning networks, perceived ease of use, and confidence in technology use. Thy also demonstrate the potential of co-design practices to empower older adults as active contributors rather than passive users. The study underscores the role of inclusive design and co-design approaches in promoting autonomy, wellbeing, and equitable digital inclusion among ageing population.
Keywords
inclusive design; co-design; ageing; technology adoption
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.940
Citation
Goh, L., and de Bont, C. (2026) From compliance adoption to co-design: An exploratory study of older adults’ engagement with technology, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.940
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
From compliance adoption to co-design: An exploratory study of older adults’ engagement with technology
The growing presence of digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities for older adults, yet raises concerns around the digital divide, trust, and social inclusion. This exploratory study examines how older adults perceive and engage with technology through a community-based approach. Data were collected from 106 participants using a mixed-method design that combined the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to assess adoption factors with narrative storytelling to capture contextual experiences. Centring participants’ voices, the study identifies emotional, social, and contextual factors shaping technology engagement. Findings highlight the importance of relational trust, social learning networks, perceived ease of use, and confidence in technology use. Thy also demonstrate the potential of co-design practices to empower older adults as active contributors rather than passive users. The study underscores the role of inclusive design and co-design approaches in promoting autonomy, wellbeing, and equitable digital inclusion among ageing population.