Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many older adults to adopt communication technologies as a means of maintaining connections with their loved ones, accessing healthcare services, and engaging in various daily activities. Yet, as the pandemic eases and restrictions are lifted, many older adults gradually discontinue their use of technology. This article addresses the questions of how the intentions of technology discontinuation develop, and how older adults experience the process. A total of 10 phenomenological interviews were conducted, examining transformations and experiences in technology discontinuation among older adults. Five themes regarding the discontinuation of communication technology were identified, including life transformation, interaction disillusionment, semantic transformation, environment shifts, and reconnection. The study highlights the complex and multifaceted nature of communication technology discontinuation among older adults and emphasizes the importance of designers, developers, and researchers understanding and addressing the challenges faced by older adults in sustaining technology use. It concludes by discussing the implications of designing sustainable and inclusive technologies and corresponding use contexts for older adults.
Keywords
discontinued technology use; older adults; qualitative study; pandemic
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2023.351
Citation
Chang, F.,and Gu, Z.(2023) When to say bye: A qualitative study of older adults' discontinuation of technology use after the pandemic, in De Sainz Molestina, D., Galluzzo, L., Rizzo, F., Spallazzo, D. (eds.), IASDR 2023: Life-Changing Design, 9-13 October, Milan, Italy. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2023.351
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
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When to say bye: A qualitative study of older adults' discontinuation of technology use after the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many older adults to adopt communication technologies as a means of maintaining connections with their loved ones, accessing healthcare services, and engaging in various daily activities. Yet, as the pandemic eases and restrictions are lifted, many older adults gradually discontinue their use of technology. This article addresses the questions of how the intentions of technology discontinuation develop, and how older adults experience the process. A total of 10 phenomenological interviews were conducted, examining transformations and experiences in technology discontinuation among older adults. Five themes regarding the discontinuation of communication technology were identified, including life transformation, interaction disillusionment, semantic transformation, environment shifts, and reconnection. The study highlights the complex and multifaceted nature of communication technology discontinuation among older adults and emphasizes the importance of designers, developers, and researchers understanding and addressing the challenges faced by older adults in sustaining technology use. It concludes by discussing the implications of designing sustainable and inclusive technologies and corresponding use contexts for older adults.