Older Adults Say Yes to Technology: How Digital Empowerment of this Audience Helps Reduce Loneliness

Juliana Camargo, Telmo Silva, Jorge Ferraz de Abreu

2025

Abstract

The HUGTV system (Helping Unite Generations through Television) was designed to help older adults stay connected with their families by combining TV notifications with voice commands, making communication easier and more accessible. To understand their perceptions of both technologies, 110 interviews were conducted between April 2022 and November 2023, with participants aged between 60 and 91. The results indicate that 84.5% of participants watch television on a daily basis, with 70% of the total considering it a companion.. The study also revealed that the proposed system was generally well received by this audience, especially the functionality of viewing photos and videos of family members on TV. The television proved to be a familiar and comfortable device for older adults, which reduces the levels of fear and anxiety related to new technologies and resources. Voice interaction, for example, were significantly accepted, especially among individuals with visual and motor limitations. The study concludes that older adults recognize the value of technology for communication and information, and TV, being a familiar device, offers a promising path for digital inclusion and the reduction of loneliness.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Camargo J., Silva T. and Ferraz de Abreu J. (2025). Older Adults Say Yes to Technology: How Digital Empowerment of this Audience Helps Reduce Loneliness. In Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies for Ageing Well and e-Health - Volume 1: ICT4AWE; ISBN 978-989-758-743-6, SciTePress, pages 208-215. DOI: 10.5220/0013210700003938

in Bibtex Style

@conference{ict4awe25,
author={Juliana Camargo and Telmo Silva and Jorge Ferraz de Abreu},
title={Older Adults Say Yes to Technology: How Digital Empowerment of this Audience Helps Reduce Loneliness},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies for Ageing Well and e-Health - Volume 1: ICT4AWE},
year={2025},
pages={208-215},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013210700003938},
isbn={978-989-758-743-6},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies for Ageing Well and e-Health - Volume 1: ICT4AWE
TI - Older Adults Say Yes to Technology: How Digital Empowerment of this Audience Helps Reduce Loneliness
SN - 978-989-758-743-6
AU - Camargo J.
AU - Silva T.
AU - Ferraz de Abreu J.
PY - 2025
SP - 208
EP - 215
DO - 10.5220/0013210700003938
PB - SciTePress