A Social TV System for the Senior Community: Stimulating Elderly Communication Using Information and Communications Technology

The purpose of this study is to stimulate communication among the elderly population of Japan (where more than 21% of the population is aged 65 years and above) and to find ways to use their knowledge and labor skills with the aid of information and communications technology. Toward this end, we launched a joint research project called "Senior Cloud" in which we developed a prototype of a social TV system for the elderly. The first phase of the research project included a three-month field trial using the system in a local senior community. In this paper, we analyze the system log (posting and operational data) and the responses to questionnaires administered to obtain user impressions. These data reveal certain characteristics of communication among the elderly and methods that can stimulate it.