Empowering Older Adults: A User-Centered Approach Combining iTV and Voice Assistants to Promote Social Interactions

Low digital literacy is classified by the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the main factors in the social exclusion of seniors. Faced with this scenario, the two institutions put digital inclusion initiatives at the center of the debate. Projects and activities developed in this area are seen as ways of reducing isolation indicators and feelings of loneliness. To fill this gap, this study seeks to use smart speakers and televisions to empower older adults. The aim is for them to be able to contact their family and friends more easily, through a system that offers a simplified User experience (UX). The aim of this study is to help increase intergenerational connections through a system consisting of an application that sends notifications to the TV and a smart speaker. The whole process of devising the solution was based on the opinions/perceptions of the target audience. Firstly, 20 interviews were carried out with a group of older adults. Then, a focus group with six individuals helped clarify some perceptions and identify potential scenarios. This information supported the development of the web supporting platform, which was tested with a group of six older adults for 44 days in a real-life context. A gerontologist was subsequently interviewed so that she could evaluate the system before starting the final tests. The expert’s perceptions were evaluated and changes were made so that the solution was as suitable as possible for the target audience. Next, an 82-year-old Portuguese man was invited to validate the process. The aim was to assess whether the testing procedure was the most appropriate before moving on to the final field tests. All the perceptions of the beta tester and the gerontologist are described throughout this paper. This experience has shown that the system’s proactivity is a way of stimulating social interactions, as well as the ease of using voice commands to make calls and send messages.