IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socres/v28y2023i1p150-170.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

When Technologies are Not Enough: The Challenges of Digital Interventions to Address Loneliness in Later Life

Author

Listed:
  • Barbara Barbosa Neves
  • Jenny Waycott

    (The University of Melbourne, Australia)

  • Alexia Maddox

    (Swinburne University of Technology, Australia; Deakin University, Australia)

Abstract

This article discusses sociotechnical challenges of technology-based interventions to address loneliness in later life. We bring together participatory and multidisciplinary research conducted in Canada and Australia to explore the limits of digital technologies to help tackle loneliness among frail older people (aged 65+). Drawing on three case studies, we focus on instances when technology-based interventions, such as communication apps, were limiting or failed, seeming to enhance rather than lessen loneliness. We also unpack instances where the technologies being considered did not match participants’ social needs and expectations, preventing adoption, use, and the intended outcomes. To better grasp the negative unintended consequences of these technological interventions, we combine a relational sociological approach to loneliness with the Strong Structuration Theory developed by sociologist Rob Stones. This combined lens highlights the connection between sociotechnical factors and their agentic and structural contexts, facilitating a rich understanding of why and when technologies fail and limit.

Suggested Citation

  • Barbara Barbosa Neves & Jenny Waycott & Alexia Maddox, 2023. "When Technologies are Not Enough: The Challenges of Digital Interventions to Address Loneliness in Later Life," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 28(1), pages 150-170, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socres:v:28:y:2023:i:1:p:150-170
    DOI: 10.1177/13607804211029298
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13607804211029298
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/13607804211029298?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socres:v:28:y:2023:i:1:p:150-170. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.