2023 Research Highlights

We would like to thank our stakeholders including service providers, private and public businesses, organisations, community groups and our aged care participants for your support of our research into digital inclusiveness for older adults which has helped shape tangible outcomes in 2023.

Publications:

3 academic journal articles:

1. Strength-based Co-design that EMPOWERs – Lessons from codesigning with older adults in the Journal of Services Marketing.

2. Digital Inclusion in Later Life: Older Adults' Socialisation Processes in Learning and Using Technology​ published in the Australia and New Zealand Marketing Academy.

3. Socialisation Agents’ Use(fulness) for Older Consumers Learning ICT published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

1 report, 1 booklet and 1 working paper:

1. Working Paper Empowering Through Sharing Experiences:The Challenges and Strengths of Aged-Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic published in the Social Science Research Network.

2. ICT and older adults in the City of Whittlesea Report published by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network.

3. Strategies to Increase your Digital Confidence to Connect Safely Booklet published in the Social Science Research Network.

Call for articles:

• Call for articles on Connecting Older Adults to the Digital World coordinated by Bernardo and Jacob Sheahan in the Special Issue of the "Community and Urban Sociology" Section of the Social Sciences Journal. Deadline for manuscript submissions is the 31 July 2024

New blogs and new website in 2023:

• And we published 24 blogs on the updated Shaping Connections website which you are reading right now!

Representation

Shaping Connections represented at 7 events:

1. Bernardo Figueiredo presented research and insights about the digital inclusion work Shaping Connections has done with U3A Network Victoria in Australia to researchers from Prague University of Economics and Business in the Czech Republic and at Newcastle University in the UK, and was a panelist on consumption injustices at the Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) Conference in Lund, Sweden.

2. Bernardo also co-chaired the dialogical Transformative Consumer Research Conference (TCR) at the Royal Holloway, University of London exploring future opportunities and challenges of ageing and technology.

3. Torgeir Aleti was a panellist in Session 1, while Bernardo was a panellist in Session 2 of Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria’s webinar for Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) providers across Australia on meeting the needs of older people who are not well digitally engaged or who face digital communication challenges related to disability.

4. Torgeir and Bernardo presented to staff at the RMIT College of Business and Law Lunch and Learn organised by RMIT Digital3 on the impact their research on digital inclusiveness for older adults has on society.

5. Bernardo presented Shaping Connections findings and impact as a panelist at the Centre for Organisations and Social Change launch event and now leads their Positive Ageing Theme.

Bernardo presents his research to a group of scholars from Prague University of Economics and Business in the Czech Republic on digital inclusion of older adults

We hope you obtained value and insights from our additional resources in 2023 and if you have any feedback or suggestions for blogs, research or partnership opportunities, please let us know by contacting us.

We wish you a relaxing and safe holiday season and of course, we look forward to working with you in 2024.

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