Valerie  K. Jones 
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA  (Correspondence:  valerie@unl.edu)
Jessica Fargen-Walshb
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

Citation:  Jones, V.K., & Fargen-Walsh, J. (2024). ‘My good friend’: Why “older old” adults continued to use voice assistants during COVID-19. Journal of Communication Technology, 6(2), pp. 52-72 . DOI: 10.51548/joctec.6.2.2024.03 

Abstract:  This qualitative study examines the role and routine of continued personal voice assistant use (PVA) during the COVID-19 pandemic among “older old” Americans, aged 75 or more. It draws on Technology Acceptance Models and Uses and Gratifications Theory to understand continued motivations and uses of PVAs beyond initial adoption. We found participants continued to use their PVAs to help facilitate independence and that the devices provided reliable companionship, induced a nostalgia effect from music, and instilled a sense of security. This research is the first to reveal motivations and conditions for continued use of PVAs among aging adults during a time of extreme isolation. It also shows how these devices can serve to mitigate feelings of isolation during a time of extreme losses of normal social interactions. The findings have practical implications for those who care for the “older old” population, as PVAs can help keep this population connected and feeling independent, and for design of future technologies.

Keywords:  Personal Voice Assistant (PVA), COVID-19, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), Loneliness, Emerging Media, Aging Adults