Technology can help to tackle loneliness and social isolation, symposium hears

19 Jun 2024

• Smartphones, wearable devices and smart home systems could improve the quality of life for older people living at home.
• Loneliness poses a risk to older people’s physical and mental health and impacts every community in post-pandemic Ireland.
• Ireland is the loneliest country in Europe.

Advances in technology could help to tackle the increasing problem of loneliness and social isolation experienced by older people living in Ireland, a symposium co-hosted by University College Cork and ALONE will hear today.

The symposium brings researchers, community leaders and technologists together to explore the latest innovations in smart sensing technology to identify loneliness and offer supports before issues present.

The first ever EU-wide survey on loneliness found that Ireland is the loneliest country in Europe. More than 20% of respondents in Ireland reported feeling lonely most or all of the time, compared to the European average of 13%.

In 2023, ALONE’s data showed that 36% of older people newly contacting ALONE had not been out socially in more than a month, and 9% had not been out socially in more than a year.

Tackling loneliness through technology

Smart sensing technology refers to techniques used to identify people experiencing social isolation and loneliness based on changes in activity or behaviour patterns through different types of sensors, including wearable devices, smart home systems, and smartphone applications.

The event features experts from social sciences, community groups, and technology, including Professor Dirk Pesch, UCC School of Computer Science and Information Technology, who will share real-world applications of smart sensing technologies.

Loneliness as a global public health crisis

Professor Eleanor Bantry White, Head of UCC School of Applied Social Studies, and Dr Evi Zafeiridi, UCC School of Computer Science and Information Technology and School of Applied Social Studies, will share everyday technologies for identifying loneliness and what older adults think about these technologies.

Professor Eleanor Bantry-White said: “Loneliness is a major issue that increases the risk of serious illness and mortality risk with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring loneliness to be a pressing global health threat.”

“Through smartphones and wearable technologies, it is now possible to identify loneliness and offer supports before problems arise. However, older people, services and policymakers have not been adequately included in the design of these technologies, meaning important ethical and usability issues have arisen. This event will explore the latest advances in wearables, sensors and the future of technology that can help play a critical role in combatting loneliness.”

“Bringing different perspectives together, it will build an agenda to improve research, inform policy and services, and develop a network for future collaboration,” Professor Eleanor Bantry White said.

The event will connect the project with European researchers attending from the COST Action PAAR-net (CA22167) in order to develop best practices in participatory methods for designing these technologies with older adults.

Taking place on Wednesday, 19 June, the symposium, entitled Inclusive Dialogue on Sensing Technologies for Loneliness and Social Participation’ is co-hosted by UCC and ALONE and funded by the Irish Research Council New Foundations Scheme 2023. Learn more about the SMILE research project here.