Design practice: exploring how a virtual pet mobile application helps older adults establish social relationships

Population ageing is becoming an increasingly urgent global issue. Consequently, much research is being conducted to explore different aspects of aging, including planning and providing interventions to promote individuals’ physical, psychological, and social well-being. Using technology and digital tools to support healthy aging not only fosters social connections among older adults but also mitigates feelings of loneliness and the risk of social isolation. This study designed and developed a virtual pet mobile application (app) by integrating digital design and portable carriers to examine whether its use helps older adults foster social relationships. The app demonstrated good usability, with a mean score of 76.1 on the System Usability Scale. Text analysis of participant interviews showed that its use effectively increased the frequency of physical social interactions and strengthened bonds within existing social networks. Additionally, its design can lessen the challenges and obstacles faced when physically raising pets. However, it is important to recognize that it cannot fully replace the intimacy of physically raising a pet. This paper presents an alternative design approach that can support the future development of related fields. Given the convenience of mobile technology, designing both online and offline interactions can help increase the frequency of physical interactions in daily life and assist older adults in maintaining social engagement.