As we navigate the post-COVID-19 era, the significance of digital inclusivity and technology for older adults has never been more pronounced. The global shift towards a more digitalized lifestyle underscores the need for a nuanced understanding of how technology intersects with the ageing process.
Shaping Connections researchers Assoc Prof Bernardo Figueiredo and Dr Jacob Sheahan are calling on contributions to a special issue from interdisciplinary Q1 Journal of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760) which seeks to explore the multifaceted relationship between older adults and technology, emphasising a human-centred approach.
Key Takeaways:
Why submit to this Special Issue?
Align your research with a critical and timely topic.
Gain visibility and recognition from a global academic and professional audience.
Contribute to a collection of pioneering work published in the Social Sciences journal.
Contribution topic examples:
Explore digital inclusion and design for older adults.
Investigate cultural models of ageing and technology.
Examine the role of emerging technologies (AI, VR/AR, telemedicine, wearable health monitors, smart homes, etc.) in promoting healthy ageing.
Discuss age-friendly marketplaces and the consumer-technology relationship.
Address barriers to technology adoption among older adults.
Types of submission examples:
Research articles
Review articles
Short communications
Plus early submissions are encouraged for preliminary feedback.
Submission process:
Submit your here
Submit abstracts as soon as possible to ensure an early assessment of interest and fit for this compelling topic. Let's collaboratively shape the future of technology in enhancing the lives of older adults.
For queries and abstract submissions (this week), contact:
Associate Professor Bernardo Figueiredo:Â bernardo.figueiredo@rmit.edu.au
Dr. Jacob Sheahan:Â jsheahan@ed.ac.uk
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024.
Technology and the Ageing Society - A Human-Centred Approach
The global response to the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the importance of the digital world in the lives of older adults, presenting a crucial tool for navigating contemporary society. Simultaneously, the growing population of senior citizens presents both a social phenomenon and a challenge for our societies, with technological advancements playing a pivotal role in connecting and enhancing the lives of older adults in various aspects.
However, within current discussions surrounding technology, the human element is often overshadowed. Seniors are sometimes perceived as malfunctioning machines, with their limitations viewed as challenges to be overcome through technological solutions.
New perspectives needed on connecting older adults to the digital world
To address this issue, new perspectives are necessary, prioritizing the human experience. This shift in perspective allows us to acknowledge the complexities of the relationship between humans and technology, and to adapt technological advancements to better suit the needs of the older population.
It is also important to incorporate emerging perspectives looking into digital inclusion and design, cultural models of ageing and technology, digital inclusion, media practices, ageing in place and data, technology paradoxes, feminist perspectives on care regarding relationality and reciprocity and more broadly, the mutual shaping of ageing and technology.
A human centred approach
As these ideas and challenges continue to evolve in the context of older adults’ lives, several critical issues arise relating to how technology can promote the quality of life and healthy ageing in later life, and their intertwining with the market to generate and promote technology.
These also include studies looking into the barriers to technology adoption and use, age-friendly marketplaces and the relationship consumers have with technologies.
By adopting this human-centred approach and addressing these questions, we can better understand the evolving role of technology in the lives of older adults, ensuring it positively contributes to their overall well-being.
Join the Shaping Connections team in this exciting endeavour to explore the nexus of ageing, technology, and society. Your research can make a significant difference in understanding and improving the digital landscape for older adults.
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