Enhancing social engagement of older adults through technology

Social engagement is a fundamental component of health and quality-of-life outcomes. Our goal in this chapter is to assess the relationship between social engagement and health outcomes for older adults, specifically with respect to the role technology can play in supporting and facilitating social engagement. Social engagement technologies include established forms of electronic communication such as email and social networking sites (e.g., Facebook), as well as emerging technologies such as telepresence, social robots, virtual reality, and augmented reality. Our review of the literature revealed that there are barriers for older adults in the adoption and use of technologies that foster social engagement. We make recommendations about how designers can overcome these barriers to better suit the needs and interests of older adults.