Jess Francis-Levin
Nearly one-third of older adults (age 65+) in the United States are aging alone (NASEM, 2020). Approximately 60% of older adults who are living alone report experiencing social isolation and feelings of loneliness (NASEM, 2020) due to a lack of social interaction. As quality and satisfaction of social relationships has been shown to be one of the best predictors of cognitive health, well-being, and overall life expectancy, there is a need to develop innovative approaches to leverage and optimize the social networks for older adults living alone.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic Virtual reality (VR) interventions are gaining traction among researchers as VR use has been shown to promote social connection and interaction and has been associated with benefits to mental health, physical health and cognitive health (dual tasking, visual attention, and memory). Although historically, VR technology has been relatively cumbersome, expensive, and marketed towards a niche and young audience, recent innovations in the field have made VR considerably more accessible to individuals across demographics. These advances in VR technology have created more opportunity for more individuals to see potential benefit from its use, however research to this point is in its infancy.
This talk will address considerations for VR adoption and engagement among older adults for the purpose of social interaction. We will also explore the effect that such emerging technologies as VR have on overall well-being for older adults and discuss implications for technology and intervention design.
Dr. Jess Francis-Levin (she, her, hers) is a gerontechnologist and mixed-methodologist. Her work examines how emerging technology use, such as virtual reality, may impact the overall health and well-being of the older adult community. With an emphasis on social connectivity, Dr. Francis-Levin develops technological interventions designed to promote independence and mitigate the negative consequences of social isolation. A primary consideration for her research is how the digital divide may impact individuals from realizing the true benefits of emerging technologies, and how to bridge that gap.