Digital Aging
Aging In a Digital World
Digital Aging at a Glance
A Bit of Background
Canada, like other Western nations, is experiencing both an aging population and an increased interest in and reliance on digital technologies. Conversations about aging populations often trade in alarmist demographic predictions of a 'silver tsunami' with dire consequences for the distribution of social resources and intergenerational collaboration. Yet optimism is also pinned on new technologies that might produce more positive aging futures by lessening health-care burdens, empowering resilient capacities, encouraging risk-averse lifestyles and enabling ‘aging in place’. In these two research projects, however, we tackle these possibilities along with unexplored but important critical sociological questions around age, aging and digital technology. Our research also aims to encourage ethical reflection and debate on aging and technology in relation to questions of social status, social inequality, surveillance and use of bio-data.
Our Research
We anticipate that our research will have both scholarly and social impacts. We hope to contribute to the creation of new knowledge about aging and technology corresponding to the vast changes in digital economies and to expand Canada’s research capacity in these areas by mentoring and training students and postdoctoral researchers to be equipped to take up academic and professional careers, policy-making roles and leadership positions in an aging society.
