INFO Assistant Professor Amanda Lazar discusses her research on older people’s relationship with technology.
An episode of the podcast Flash Forward featured College of Information Studies (INFO) Assistant Professor Amanda Lazar as a guest speaker. She talked about her research on older adults’ use of an app that helps them manage daily care-related activities like physical therapy and medication management. The app allows users to chat with an avatar that is connected to a team of specialists around the world who can provide support and feedback but largely remain anonymous.
“We forget when we design technology for older adults that people don’t just want to be cared for,” says Lazar. “Many people don’t want relationships just to be comforted or reached out to in their social isolation. They also want to make genuine connections with other people and help them and care about them—ask them questions about their lives and their families.”
Listen to the podcast here. Produced by Ozzy Llinas Goodman and broadcasted on November 2022 by Flash Forward.