Elderly User’s Usage Behavior of LINE Application on a Smartphone
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Abstract
The objective of this research was to study behavior of the elderly on using LINE application on smartphone. The data were collected through in-depth interviews and non-participant observation of sixteen participants who were between 55-69 years old living in Bangkok and suburban area with the experience in using the LINE application on a smartphone. The sample group participated in the study by performing twelve activities via the LINE application. The usage behavior collected from the participants was analyzed by a visualization technique. Results of the study found that the elderly with different gender, age, usage experience, and frequency of use per week did not show much difference in the usage behavior of LINE. The primary objective for using LINE of most elderly users was to contact friends. Most of the elderly who successfully performed the tasks employed Android-based smartphones. Sending stickers was one of activities that all participants could carry out successfully. Almost all of them learned how to use the application from their children. The participants would choose not to perform the activity if it was too complex to access. Most of the elderly were likely to perform the activities that they know how to do and perform frequently, for example, sending text messages, sending stickers, sending photos, and etc. For an unfamiliar activity, they would try to find relevant menus; however, they were afraid to make a decision because they were worried that if they made a mistake, their data in the application would be affected. For unsuccessful activities, the elderly stated that they could not perform the task because they could not select the right menu. Therefore, the design of the application is essential in enabling the elderly users to access and perform the task. This research results can be used to develop guidelines for designing a communication application including other applications suitable for the needs of the elderly.
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