Understanding the Use of Voice Assistants by Older Adults

TL;DR

This study explores how older adults use voice assistants, highlighting their benefits as assistive and social tools, and emphasizing the importance of communal learning environments for successful adoption.

Contribution

It provides qualitative insights into older adults' engagement with smart speakers and underscores the role of social learning in technology adoption.

Findings

Older adults find smart speakers helpful for assistance and social interaction.

Formal, communal learning environments facilitate successful technology adoption.

Older adults' engagement varies across different usage contexts.

Abstract

Older adults are using voice-based technologies in a variety of different contexts and are uniquely positioned to benefit from smart speakers' handsfree, voice-based interface. In order to better understand the ways in which older adults engage with and learn how to use smart speakers, we conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews with four older adults who own smart speakers. Emerging findings indicate that older adults benefit from smart speakers as both an assistive and a social technology. Findings also suggest that when older adults learn new technologies in a formal, communal environment there is successful adoption.