Work

Surfacing Technology Routines While Studying Videoconferencing Among Older Adults with Cognitive Concerns

Year: 2025

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: HCI research increasingly focuses on everyday life to inform technology design for older adults. Routines, a key aspect of everyday life, have been studied to contextualize technology use. Our work brings attention to understanding of routines around videoconferencing technology among older adults with cognitive concerns. We conducted a week-long study involving observations, interviews, and a modified diary study with six older adults with cognitive concerns who videoconference at least once a week. Our analysis revealed how routines helped people adapt to videoconferencing constraints, how participants navigated disruptions to their videoconferencing routines, and the kinds of routines that were more challenging to manage when faced disruptions. In the discussion, we describe why routines are particularly important to study and support for people with cognitive concerns, the importance of studying older adults' routines to support technology use in HCI, and methods that can enrich HCI research by uncovering insights into routines.

Source: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

DOI: 10.1145/3706598.3714207

Authors: Ruipu Hu, Amanda Lazar

Institution: University of Maryland, College Park

Language: English

Topic: Technology Use by Older Adults

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research