Intergenerational technology: a cross-millenial natter

[ UUID ] 5a6a1a7a-7faf-45aa-91b0-3f5019caa698

[ Session Name ] Intergenerational technology: a cross-millenial natter [ Primary Space ] Web Literacy [ Secondary Space ] Digital Inclusion

[ Submitter's Name ] Belen Barros Pena [ Submitter's Affiliated Organisation ] School of Design, Northumbria University [ Submitter's GitHub ] @belenbarrospena

[ Other Facilitator 1's Name ] Bernard Tyers

What will happen in your session?

This session will engage people across generations on discussions about technology, providing an opportunity for visitors of all ages to enjoy an activity together.

Young attendees will be presented with a collection of images showing the many gadgets that entered our lives during the 20th century. Older attendees will be presented with images of technologies that arrived with the new millennium. All will be asked to select images showing something unknown to them, or that they don’t fully understand.

Attendees will pair with someone from a different generation, to collaboratively make sense of their selected images. Each pair will then present their images to the wider group, encouraging discussion about technologies old and new, and uncovering connections between them.

What is the goal or outcome of your session?

This session aims to encourage an open discussion about technology across generations, away from the restrictions often imposed on younger people, and the age-associated stereotypes commonly attached to older adults.

We believe older adults have an important contribution to make to our understanding of technologies like computers, the Internet and the web; a contribution that is grounded on their first-hand experience of technological change. Sadly, older adults are rarely given the opportunity to exchange views and perspectives about technology with younger people.

This session will try to address this gap, by providing a cross-generational space free from the rules, restrictions and roles associated with home, work and school.

Time needed

60 mins