Hidden Opportunities for Elder Living: Understanding Shared Technology Troubles and Benefits for Older Adults in the UK Cost of Living Crisis

Research Background and Issues

• Identified Problems/Challenges:

  • The widespread adoption of digital technologies has permeated all aspects of life, such as medical appointments, transportation ticketing, and home services. However, many individuals aged 65 and above face digital exclusion, struggling to cope with these technologies.
  • The UK's "cost of living crisis" has exacerbated this issue. This crisis, driven by declining disposable income, has severely impacted the financial security and mental health of older adults.
  • While various standalone solutions exist (e.g., financial planning apps, mental health tools), there is no comprehensive technological solution addressing this complex social issue.

• Significance:

  • Older adults are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the cost of living crisis. Issues such as low income and unemployment are prevalent in this demographic, and digital exclusion further hinders their ability to access resources and maintain financial independence.
  • It is crucial to understand how technology can assist older adults in practical and economical ways while also recognizing the potential burdens it may impose.

• Research Motivation and Related Work:

  • Previous HCI research has primarily focused on topics such as smart home technology applications, online banking, and energy consumption monitoring tools. However, the challenges of using these technologies and users' real experiences (e.g., psychological burden and technology failures) have been rarely explored.
  • This study aims to investigate how technology interacts with various aspects of older adults' living costs—time, money, and health—within the context of the cost of living crisis.

Proposed Solution

• Proposed Approach:

  • The authors studied the daily use of smart and non-smart technologies in five older households and examined the economic and personal well-being impacts of these technologies.
  • Through two rounds of interviews and a 7-day diary study, the authors explored how older adults use technology to save costs and the specific challenges they face.

• Innovative Contributions:

  • Highlighted the social and collaborative aspects of technology use among older adults, exploring how they address technological shortcomings through device sharing and collaboration.
  • Proposed design recommendations for cost-saving technologies, such as enhancing device repairability, simplifying operations, and ensuring long-lasting functionality.

• Implementation Steps and Key Techniques:

  1. Data Collection:
     • Gathered insights into older households' experiences with technology through interviews and a 7-day diary study, including photos and voice notes.
  2. Analysis Methods:
     • Applied reflexive thematic analysis to iteratively process the data, summarizing technological issues and participants' coping strategies.
  3. Technology Design Recommendations:
     • Provided specific design suggestions to reduce user burdens and help older adults transition more smoothly to new digital systems.

Research Findings

• Key Findings:

  1. Uncovered the successes and struggles experienced by older adults in using technology to save time, manage finances, and improve health.
  2. Provided evidence of how poorly designed technologies lead users to revert to non-digital alternatives.
  3. Identified strategies employed by older adults to address technological challenges through collaboration and resource sharing.

• Comparison with Existing Solutions and Advantages:

  • Offered a user collaboration-centered perspective on technology, whereas most existing solutions are primarily individual needs-oriented.
  • Emphasized the economic and repairable aspects of devices rather than simply advocating for replacing existing devices with new technologies.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  • Older adults developed unique "mental models" to understand and optimize household energy consumption, such as intuitive judgments about which appliances consume more energy.
  • Repair activities (e.g., fixing devices through local repair cafés) were perceived by older adults as more sustainable and economical solutions.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • The sample size was small, primarily covering middle-class older adults, necessitating further investigation into the experiences of low-income older populations.
  • The study duration was relatively short (7 days), limiting the ability to track long-term dynamics in technology use.
  • Future research is encouraged to focus on older adults' long-term adaptation to technology and analyze the interaction between technology and social inequality.

Through this study, the authors provide specific and practical guidance on improving digital technology design for older adults and open up new directions for HCI research on technology in older adults' lives.