Digital empowerment and active aging: The role of modern technology in improving the quality of life for the elderly and enhancing social integration and intergenerational communication Proposed applied scientific article, scalable to a field study and an experimental digital model
Mohamed Mahmoud Gomaa
Abstract
This research addresses the relationship between digital empowerment and active aging, focusing on the potential of modern technology to support the quality of life for the elderly (65 years and older), enhance their independence, expand their social participation, and build sustainable channels for communication and knowledge transfer between generations. The research starts from the fact that digital transformation may open new opportunities for the elderly, but it may also create a digital divide if technologies are designed without considering differences in visual, motor, cognitive abilities, digital experiences, and privacy. The research presents an applied framework that combines user-friendly digital platforms, Arabic voice assistance, non-contact technologies, monitoring safety and activity indicators, and social media tools for knowledge transfer. It proposes here a unified operational prototype called (GESR Bridge) that connects the elderly with their families, caregivers, and surrounding community, without assuming that technology is a substitute for human relationships or specialized healthcare. It also proposes a mixed-methods approach to impact verification, including measures of quality of life, social participation, loneliness, independence, and technology acceptance, along with qualitative interviews and field observations. The research emphasizes that practical outcomes should be measured experimentally. International research supports the importance of enhancing social connections and age-friendly environments for the elderly, while systematic reviews indicate that the effects of social technology are not uniform and vary according to the type of technology, context, and user characteristics. Civil society organizations and NGOs play an important role in supporting the elderly, especially in Arab and Eastern communities that view the care and assistance of the elderly as a social and humanitarian responsibility. Many of their members also see it as a religious and moral duty based on compassion, solidarity, maintaining family ties, and serving the neediest groups.