PhD Thesis by Cun Li
The world is graying. The worldwide population over age 65 is expected to more than double from 357 million in 1990 to 761 million in 2025. Within the context of the ageing society, social isolation is widespread among older adults. Among all their social relationships, the older adults rank connections with family members second only to health, as the most important area of their lives. Given that one of the most precious characteristics of older adults is their memory of events, people, and places, storytelling could act as an effective way to keep them stay in touch with their children. However, while younger seniors are embracing online social technologies, their parents, many of whom are still living, are neglected in this trend; these non-tech-savvy elders are targeted in this research. Based on the situation described above, the research presented in this thesis attempts to answer the research question: How can interactive technology facilitate intergenerational storytelling, specifically for non-tech-savvy older adults?