Loading...
SMART HOME’S MEANING IN LATER LIFE: HOW OLDER ADULTS MAKE MEANING OF SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY IN THEIR LIVES
Wilson, Derek
Wilson, Derek
Citations
Altmetric:
Abstract
The use of smart home technologies (SHT) has increased due to their popularity. Smart home devices, such as smart TVs, doorbells, and smart speakers, allow individuals to increase their convenience and productivity. Older adults, as a specific technology-user population, are often targeted by advertising as a group that could benefit from using SHT despite being stereotyped as techno-illiterate. Many of these suggested benefits could alleviate dangers in later life highlighted by existing literature, including loneliness, isolation, and low confidence. In existing gerotechnology research, many studies examine the dangers or benefits of older adults using smart home technologies. However, these studies lack the lived experience of older adults. This study uses interpretive phenomenological analysis to explore the lived experiences of older adults using smart home technologies. This method emphasizes in-depth exploration of rich narratives and utilizes a double-hermeneutic process to interpret the meaning-making development of participants. From the data, three primary themes of older adults’ experiences with SHT emerged: Navigating and Addressing Ongoing Needs, Instilling Confidence in the Self, and Desire to be Valued and Included. Each of these themes highlights the lived experiences of participants using SHT for convenience and specific social needs. Across these themes, three notions developed relating to older adults making meaning of their smart devices: Negative Experiences of SHT, Utilizing SHT for Ancillary Functions, and Confidence vs. Bonding in Use. From these themes and notions, older adults use SHT as a proxy for capability and connection, leveraging it for their social and personal benefit.
Description
Date
2024-01-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Kansas
Collections
Archive Status
This item contains archived web content.
Files
1075325_1.pdf
Adobe PDF, 1.01 MB
- Embargoed until 2174-05-31
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Gerontology, Sociology, Adult, Aging, Home, Older, Smart, Technology