Later Life: Living Alone, Social Connectedness and ICT

Abstract

The paper presents a qualitative, interview-based study that seeks to describe participants’ perceptions and experiences with information and communication technology. The participants in the study were active people, aged 67 and over, who live alone in an urban setting. Interactionist theory of loneliness was used to guide the inquiry, in particular regarding the perception of the relation between the quality and quantity of connections, loneliness, and technology. A set of visual tools such as communication maps and cards were made to aid reflections and associations during interviews.