Background and Goals

The European society is aging; trends such as social isolation and health issues are on the rise as aging citizens become less mobile and the social interactions associated with work, family and friends weaken. Loneliness and social isolation among senior citizens can be as harmful to their health as smoking or a sedentary lifestyle.

Just as the demographic makeup of society is changing, the manner in which citizens interact with each other has also changed dramatically in recent years.

The Internet, Email and Web 2.0 social media have led to a migration of social interaction from physical to virtual communities. Yet, a mere 7 percent of seniors participate in social networks.

This project aims to use social networking applications to help reduce social isolation and loneliness among seniors and promote participation in today’s increasingly virtual society.

The SSP aims to:

• Develop a stand-alone senior friendly interface for social networks based on OpenSocial API.
• Increase participation of seniors in social networks.
• Reduce social isolation among seniors.
• Provide cognitive stimulation.
• Act as a bridge between seniors, their loved ones and caretakers.