Exploring Social Engagement around COVID-19 lockdowns with Older Pet Owners and Location-based Play (For Submission)

Sheahan., J. & Hjorth, L.

Frontiers in Computer Science, Post-pandemic Digital Realities of Older Adults

Responding to emergent social issues and challenges, serious location-based games can provide local communities with ways of navigating difficult topics in interactive and engaging ways, supporting diverse groups to explore complex social, digital and health realities. As COVID-19-related lockdowns and health restrictions demonstrated in Australia, older adults have faced the serious implications of extended social isolation and reliance on technology for social connectedness during this time, as their existing digital inequities shaped their opportunities for engagement. This article focuses on specifically how older pet owners lost daily interactions and support within their local communities during this period, detailing our development of collaborative gameplay to re-engage these individuals with their social connections and local places.