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AI & SOCIETY

14-03-2023 | Open Forum

Technological grandparents: how communication technologies can improve the well-being of the elderly?

Authors: Laura Corti, Maria Rosaria Brizi, Maddalena Pennacchini, Marta Bertolaso

Published in: AI & SOCIETY

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Abstract

The ageing of the population is one of the most significant social transformations that the twenty first century is showcasing and a challenge that impacts society at large. The elderly, inasmuch as everybody else, are confronted with continuous transformations that are induced by technology, although they seldom benefit from the opportunities that technology entails. The digital divide amongst various segments of the population is often age-related and due to different reasons, including biological, psychological, social and financial ones. There is an ongoing reflection pertaining to the factors that hinders the full adoption of ICTs by the elderly and a question regarding what can be done to overcome their poor involvement in technology. This article, based on the results of a recent research, which has been conducted in Italy, aims at highlighting the importance of engaging the elderly in the use of technology as a key to building bridges between generations.

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Footnotes
2
This assumption is shared by several researchers, as Floridi (2014), Ihde (1990), Malafouris (2013). In particular, we are going to adopt the lens of the mediation theory, proposed by Don Ihde, which identifies technology as a medium in the relation between the subject (I as a Body) and the world.
 
3
In this sense, we assume the non-identity of the world and the human being.
 
4
It has to be noticed the plural form of technology, which expresses the necessity to have a double technological mediation.
 
5
Such asymmetry does not exclude instead the double intentionality that always inform relevant human interactions and relations. In this sense, Marta Bertolaso talked about reciprocity with asymmetry (Bertolaso and Rocchi 2020).
 
6
We focused on the phase prior to vaccine development as it showed the greatest need for social distancing.
 
7
Nevertheless, it is also important to notice that some conditions, which are particularly widespread amongst those who are older than 70, such as the Alzheimer or dementia, require a face-to-face interaction as the only way of performing caregiving tasks.
 
8
We consider two modalities of communication: analogic systems include phone-mediated, verbal communication, describable according to the device paradigm, whereas digital communication describes all the communication mediated through internet and ICTs.
 
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Metadata
Title
Technological grandparents: how communication technologies can improve the well-being of the elderly?
Authors
Laura Corti
Maria Rosaria Brizi
Maddalena Pennacchini
Marta Bertolaso
Publication date
14-03-2023
Publisher
Springer London
Published in
AI & SOCIETY
Print ISSN: 0951-5666
Electronic ISSN: 1435-5655
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-023-01645-w

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