Older adults' experiences using Alexa

Abstract

The number of adults in the United States age 65 and older is expected to increase to 81 million in 2040 and 95 million in 2060. Voice-activated personal assistants (VAPAs), such as Amazon's Alexa, have the potential to ensure that older adults can successfully age in place using smart home technology to support health, wellness, social engagement, and daily functioning at home. To further explore this potential, twelve home-dwelling older adults aged 65 and older who had used the Amazon Alexa VAPA device for over six months were interviewed to learn about their perceptions and experiences with the use of the device and to gain insights into how this technology has shaped their aging experience. Findings suggest that the older adults did not fully understand the full spectrum of functionality and features of the Alexa device, as they received relatively little initial and ongoing training and support in using it. Participants enjoyed using the Alexa device for selective non-essential features and functions that were more convenient to use on the Alexa device than through alternative methods, but they did not see the use of the Alexa device as essential to their successfully aging in place.CCS CONCEPTS • Accessibility • Ubiquitous and mobile computing • Human-computer interaction