Investigating older adults' adoption and usage of online conferencing tools during COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to major adjustments for individuals. Tasks which were once conducted in-person, are now being performed online. While this may result in efficiencies for those with strong technical know-how, challenges can be faced by different groups of users, including older adults, particularly those with limited or no experience with online conferencing tools. This can lead to difficulties performing tasks which others take for granted (e.g., communicating with others and attending medical appointments remotely). Concerns still remain regarding the usability of these tools, and the security and privacy of data when performing tasks. We conducted a set of interviews to understand older adults' (aged 60 and above) experiences transitioning to online conferencing tools during the pandemic, and identify their perspectives for future usage of these tools. We found that the process of adapting to these tools varied among participants. Older adults interviewed described coming together to form a community of practice to troubleshoot usability issues. They also described valuing trust within a solution highly when adopting newer technologies. Finally, effective communication and social interaction through these tools was found to be prioritized over higher-level privacy concerns, especially during the earlier stages of adoption. Implications arising from findings can inform the designers of online communication solutions who may overlook the needs of this community who now rely on these tools to support daily living tasks.