Investigating Older Adults' Adoption and Usage of Online Conferencing Tools During COVID-19
Hirak Ray, Ravi Kuber, Adam J. Aviv · 2022 · Proceedings of the 19th International Web for All Conference (W4A) · doi:10.1145/3493612.3520447
Summary
This qualitative study examines how 25 older adults (aged 60-89) in the United States adapted to online conferencing tools during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on usability challenges, privacy and security concerns, and the trade-offs made between the two. The researchers recruited participants from an independent/assisted living community, a state-funded senior centre, and personal networks, deliberately sampling across two age subgroups: "younger-older adults" (60-74, n=15, mean age 66.8) and "older-older adults" (75+, n=10, mean age 82.5). Semi-structured interviews lasting approximately 45 minutes were conducted remotely about a year after lockdown began, allowing participants to reflect on their full adoption journey. Zoom was by far the most commonly used tool (24 of 25 participants), with WebEx, Skype, FaceTime, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams also in use. Participants used these tools for family communication, social gatherings, medical appointments, religious services, work, and events like weddings and funerals. The study distinguishes between "forced adopters" who had no prior experience and "prior users" who already had some familiarity, revealing different adaptation trajectories and concerns between these groups and the two age subgroups.
Key findings
The study revealed several important patterns. Older-older adults in assisted living communities formed organic "communities of practice" — helping each other troubleshoot camera, microphone, and audio issues during calls, preferring peer support over formal technical help. In contrast, younger-older adults sought training through employers or community classes. Most participants (n=18) adopted tools based on conformity rather than deliberate choice — they used what everyone else was using, particularly what trusted family and friends recommended. Trust was a critical adoption factor: older adults were more willing to adopt tools advocated by loved ones, and brand familiarity (e.g., Microsoft products at work) influenced perceived trustworthiness. A key finding was that usability frustrations consistently overshadowed privacy concerns during early adoption. Participants prioritised effective communication and social connection over security, with privacy awareness only developing months later through word-of-mouth rather than formal education. Privacy concerns that did emerge were practical and immediate — bystanders walking behind them on camera, background applications visible during screen-sharing, and whether meetings were being recorded — rather than abstract data protection issues. For telehealth, 17 participants attended virtual medical appointments, generally viewing them positively but expressing distrust when assigned unfamiliar doctors. Younger-older adults were more self-conscious about appearing on camera, while older-older adults preferred having cameras on and valued seeing others' backgrounds as a social cue.
Relevance
This research has significant implications for designing accessible communication tools for older adults, a demographic frequently overlooked in product design. The finding that usability problems take priority over privacy concerns suggests that making tools easier to use is a prerequisite for security — older adults cannot engage with privacy features they struggle to find or understand. The community of practice model observed among older-older adults offers a powerful template for technology adoption support that could be facilitated through design. The study also highlights how telehealth platforms need to account for trust-building with older patients, not just technical functionality. For accessibility practitioners, the age-based differences within the older adult population reinforce that "older adults" are not a monolithic group — design must account for a wide spectrum of technical experience, physical ability, and social context. The research was conducted in the US only and focused on those who did adopt the tools, potentially missing those who were unable to do so.
Tags: older adults · aging · technology adoption · privacy · usability · digital divide · telehealth · COVID-19 · online communication