Identifying Three Affordances in ICT-Enabled Community-Based Social Support Systems for the Elderly: A Study of Four Japanese Cases

As a nation with the highest proportion of elderly citizens, Japan has made substantial strides in enriching the social lives of this demographic. This study utilizes a qualitative methodology, featuring a multi-case design, to scrutinize four instances in Japan where ICT has been employed to foster community and augment the social lives of the elderly. This study's examination of the three key affordances - structural, resource, and mental - within ICT-enabled Community-Based Social Support Systems offers a framework for comprehending the concept of affordance in such systems more profoundly. It presents a viewpoint for better understanding how the interplay of system elements, tangible resources, and mental factors collectively influence the effectiveness of the social support systems. These findings illuminate both the potential and the challenges inherent in leveraging ICT to enrich elderly communities.