Can’t get past a chatbot? Let me be your human to talk to
Video calls and messaging proved to be essential ways to reduce social isolation for any age group, but as new tech is introduced, there’s often no human support.
As a child, I spent many weekends at a local retirement home, tap dancing and playing music as part of a volunteer entertainment program for residents. My favourite part of these volunteer days wasn’t the performance, but the conversations that came afterward.
Over some tea sandwiches, I would talk with the residents and hear stories from their amazing lives. I would learn from all the changes they’ve lived through and their unique perspectives on life. It was during this time that I discovered a passion for spending time with older adults.
In the coming years, I pursued a career in journalism, and would talk about the stories I was covering for TVO, and later Postmedia, during weekly visits with my grandmother’s bridge club. I’d ask the bridge club for their thoughts, and they’d share with me how things had changed over the course of their lifetimes. In particular, they’d note the rapid change of digital technologies.
The late, great Margaret Taws on TVO’s The Agenda
Here’s a program I produced in 2013 for TVO, featuring adults in their 80s and 90s, including my grandmother. They explore their use of digital technologies.
More recently, through my work in strategic communications, I continued to see the gap between health care service providers and the daunting web of digital tools older adults are tasked with navigating.
Many of the seniors I connected with had the same challenge: How do I get past a chatbot and find a real person to talk to?
I’ve dedicated my masters research to this topic and have spent the past ten years in health care and education settings, investigating how we can create clearer communication for adults learning new technologies. With Canada’s older adult population steadily on the rise, and generative and agentic AI exploding across industries, I believe it’s imperative to put human connection and customer service at the centre of this support.
My career has led me right to this moment. I’m ready to leverage my experience and empower adults to use assistive and communication technologies in a way that works for them. Technology can be a great connector and support aging in place, but it can’t replace the power of human connection.
I can’t wait to be a part of your community!
