No ‘one size fits all’: is technology enough to address loneliness?

Digital apps, virtual reality and other social technologies are being developed globally to aid widespread loneliness felt among older adults during COVID-19.

New research has looked into the unintended consequences of digital apps to solve the deficit in social connection experienced by those living in aged care facilities".

Co-author Associate Professor Jenny Waycott from the University of Melbourne said that while there are many benefits to new technologies, a person-centred approach must be taken to ease loneliness.

“You’re not always going to be able to connect people successfully. It’s not just about introducing the right technology, it’s about providing the right social context that the technology is used for,” she said.

“There’s no one size fits all solution.”

Waycott joined Aged Care Insite to delve into the dangers of virtual realities, the pros and cons of keeping digitally connected and how we can tailor digital experiences to the needs of the individual.

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