Edinburgh Napier University

  Older adults can increase their social cohesion and belongingness by accessing social media content. Voice is a particularly suitable modality for older adults. While general voice design guidelines for social media content exist, past work has not investigated design requirements of voice systems that provide social media content specifically to older adults. A preliminary interview and usability test (N = 15 Canadian adults aged 65 or older) explored how older adults evaluate and interpret the use of a voice assistant that retrieves real-time Twitter content in their everyday lives by demonstrating a custom prototype that lets participants access social media content using their voice. Interpretation insights included that participants appreciated the friendly appearance yet disliked the user – i.e., a child – implied by the appearance and that framing can help participants perceive themselves as potential users. Usability findings included that participants valued a screen, adjustable volume, quick response time and a detailed news broadcast. This research may assist researchers and designers interested in voice assistants to support older adults’ social media practices.