Conference proceedings: Age & experience - ludic engagement in a residential care setting

Authors: Blythe, M., Wright, P., Bowers, J., Boucher, A., Jarvis, N., Reynolds, P., Gaver, B. wrote "Age and experience: Ludic engagement in a residential care setting" for the Designing Interactive Systems conference in Aarhus, Denmark 2010
The article is about findings from a 2 years study at a residential care home where ideas for cross-generational engagement through ludic systems were developed. Huizinga introduced with his book "homo ludens" the idea that humans are essentially playful creatures. In this research ludic activities were explored which engage people's curiosity, diversion and humour rather than logic or labour effectiveness. For this they developed:
1. video window
2. projected portraitures
3. blank canvas
4. soundscape radio
In opposite to the notion of a "ticket-to-talk" - which could be an exhausting experience for the residents - they introduced the idea of the "ticket-to-be-silent". In this project two artists worked with the residents; one of them drew portraits of individual the residents. It was an opportunity to be part of the creation, but not having to talk. Those images were later exhibited in the local town.
I really enjoyed reading this article since the researchers describe how they constantly had to resist the urge to design something 'useful' and to think of ideas that are playful. The article also stresses the challenges working with the group of the oldest old where getting from one chair to another or having a conversation is exhausting. The concept of inter-passivity was also introduced to describe the 'passive' use of technology by the oldest old (which isn't passive, but the obverse of interaction) in those cross-generational uses. Particularly appealing to me was the idea of the video window - a camera set on top of the roof and the view was displayed in a picture frame in the room. Residents would not spontaneously comment how they like it, but complain when it was forgotten to be switched on the next day.

Article of the Teletalker research in the Age UK Barnet newsletter

(Instead of a button) I used a light sensitive receptor, which activated the volume by just touching the area i.e. covering the receptor, so no 'pushing strength' needed.

Over one in three 3-4 year-olds use the internet

In Ofcom's annual Children’s Media Use and Attitudes report I found some information interesting. The users of smart phones and tablets are getting younger. This year the report looked for the first time media use among 3 and 4 year-olds. "The findings indicate that 37% use the internet via a PC, laptop or netbook, 6% via a tablet computer, and 3% via a mobile phone." Also impressive (and scary) for me to read was how many friends a child aged 8-15 have on their social networking profile has. "Children aged 8-11 have an average of 92 friends and children aged 12- 15 say they have, on average, 286 friends. Children aged 8-11 estimate that they have not met around one in eight (12%) of these friends in person (an average of 11 people per child) while 12-15s say they have not met around one in four (25%) - an average of 72 people per child." Read the full report here

The like-a-hug project

Just reading about this interactive garment, which is connected to Facebook's 'like'. The Like-A-Hug project is a "wearable social media vest", developed by Melissa Kit Chow in collaboration with Andy Payne and Phil Seaton, as part of the MIT Media Lab's Tangible Media Group. They came up with the concept over a casual conversation about long-distance relationships and the limitations of video chat interfaces like Skype.

I wonder however if someone really wants to wear the jacket all the time and receive hugs at random moments or whether it is not crucial to actually feel the body warmth and sense the smell of the other person. Think it might be very useful if you do research in the arctic :-) Though it has to be said that this project can be considered as an provocative art project... Read full blog here

Turkle's: "Connected, but alone"

I subscribe to Turkle's talk: "Connected, but alone" on TED. "I share, therefore I am". She gives plenty of examples where this situation happens; where we are together, but alone since we're only connecting through digital devices. I notice this very much on the train these days, everybody staring at their phones and tablets. I feel she's right about calling for a reflective use of technology and that we need to develop a more self-aware relationship with our electronic devices, with each other and with ourselves. We need to create space for solitude, so we can appreciate ourselves and are able to really connect and listen to people. See the full talk here

Another example of a social networking site for older people that didn't work

iYomu - a site that was set up in 2007 and which failed after only a year. It's confirming my research results: older people don't necessarily want a social networking site separate to existing websites (which are also used by younger people) Read here why iYomu failed.

When does 'middle age' start and finish?

Interesting article on the BBC about the perceptions of age. It's mostly a "state of mind". Read article here