SCC-IRG Track 2: Smart Social Connector: An Interdisciplinary, Collaborative Approach to Foster Social Connectedness in Underserved Senior Populations

老年人(即65岁以上的成年人)是美国人口中增长最快的部分，由于生活方式和身体健康的变化，他们面临着更高的社会孤立风险。社会联系包括建立、维持和提高社会关系的质量，这是防止或减轻社会孤立的关键。技术可以通过在线服务和移动应用程序促进社交联系。然而，几个因素，包括缺乏技术技能和意识，可访问性问题，以及隐私问题，可能会限制老年人使用技术支持的服务和资源，造成代际数字鸿沟，可能导致社会孤立。智能社交连接器(SSC)项目通过为老年人创建学习和采用技术的知情战略，并根据社区需求调整资源，来解决因年龄相关障碍而导致的社会孤立问题。因此，这个项目促进了老年人之间有意义的社会联系，在他们的社区内创造了一种归属感，促进了他们的健康和福利。具体地说，SSC项目为重新连接德克萨斯州埃尔帕索的老年居民提供了基础，埃尔帕索是一个以西班牙裔为主的双文化社区，老年人口不断增长。这个跨学科的协作项目有可能通过恢复老年人在社区中的可见度、价值和公平参与来改变他们对老年人的态度和行为。由于学生主要来自代表性不足的群体，SCC项目有助于扩大参与范围，培养拥有解决社会问题所需的技术技能和知识的下一代专业人员，特别是与老年人有关的问题。在德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校、埃尔帕索社区学院和埃尔帕索市之间的战略伙伴关系中，该项目由社会科学(即人类学和认知心理学)、计算机科学、工程学(即系统工程和土木工程)以及参与奖学金(即意识和教育)的综合和跨学科研究推动。SSC的目标是发展和维持老年人的社会联系，通过技术、社区参与和社会科学的交叉来提高他们的生活质量。与社区利益攸关方合作，这个以社区为基础的参与性研究项目有两个主要目标：(I)增进关于增加老年人社会联系并弥合老年人代际数字鸿沟的系统和行为因素的知识；(Ii)通过智慧城市解决方案增加老年人的社会和技术联系。研究团队将利用各种方法和工具，包括计算机自我效能和认知能力评估、团队绩效测量、虚拟/物理社交网络分析，以及以用户为中心的智慧城市解决方案迭代设计和测试。SSC将涉及创建包括Living Lab环境在内的人力和技术基础设施，以支持服务交付以及集成了人员、技术和信息的智能城市解决方案的迭代开发和试点。SSC项目将支持老年人加强他们的社交联系，提高他们的技术自我效能，并为他们的社区做出贡献。从SCC项目中吸取的成果和经验教训有可能应用于其他需要解决代际数字鸿沟以提高老年人生活质量的城市。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Seniors (i.e., adults aged 65+) are the most rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population and have an increased risk of social isolation due to changes in lifestyle and physical health. Social connectedness, which involves establishing, sustaining, and increasing the quality of social relationships, is key to preventing or mitigating social isolation. Technology can foster social connectedness through online services and mobile applications. However, several factors, including lack of technological skills and awareness, accessibility issues, and privacy concerns may limit seniors’ use of technology-enabled services and resources, creating a generational digital divide that may contribute to social isolation. The Smart Social Connector (SSC) project addresses social isolation due to age-related barriers by creating informed strategies for seniors to learn and adopt technology and aligning resources with community needs. As such, this project promotes meaningful social connectedness among seniors that creates a sense of belonging within their community, advancing their health and welfare. Specifically, the SSC project provides a foundation for reconnecting senior residents in El Paso, Texas, a majority-Hispanic bicultural community with a growing senior demographic. This interdisciplinary, collaborative project has the potential to shift attitudes and behaviors toward seniors by restoring their visibility, value, and equitable participation in their community. With the involvement of students who are primarily from underrepresented groups, the SCC project contributes to broadening participation and preparing the next generation of professionals who possess the technical skills and knowledge required to address societal problems, specifically those relevant to senior populations.In a strategic partnership among The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso Community College, and the City of El Paso, the project is driven by integrative and interdisciplinary research among social sciences (i.e., anthropology and cognitive psychology); computer science; engineering (i.e., systems engineering and civil engineering); and scholarship of engagement (i.e., awareness and education). The SSC goal is to develop and sustain social connectedness of seniors to improve their quality of life through the intersection of technology, community engagement, and social sciences. In collaboration with community stakeholders, this community-based participatory research project has two main objectives: (i) advance knowledge on the systemic and behavioral factors that increase social connectedness and bridge the generational digital divide in seniors; and (ii) increase social and technological connectedness for seniors through Smart City solutions. The research team will utilize a variety of methods and instruments, including assessments of computer self-efficacy and cognitive ability, team-performance measurements, virtual/physical social-network analysis, and user-centered iterative design and testing of Smart City solutions. The SSC will involve the creation of a human and technological infrastructure, including a Living Lab environment, to support service delivery and the iterative development and piloting of Smart City solutions that integrate people, technology, and information. The SSC project will support seniors in strengthening their social connectedness, increasing their technology self-efficacy, and contributing to their community. The outcomes and lessons learned from the SCC project have the potential to be applied in other cities that need to address the generational digital divide to improve seniors’ quality of life.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.