Technology Caregiving
Technology caregiving encompasses any assistance that helps an individual accomplish their Digital Activities of Daily Living (DADLs).
While anyone might occasionally need help navigating a shifting digital landscape, this support maybe critically required by specific populations—including older adults, individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities, and those with low traditional or tech literacy.
This care can be human-driven (provided by family, friends, or professionals) or machine-driven (utilizing digital aids like conversational agents, remote guidance, and tailored interfaces).
The Widening Digital Divide
As the tech industry rapidly incorporates advances in artificial intelligence (AI) into consumer-facing everyday applications, familiar digital tools are increasingly becoming moving targets. While this constant state of interface evolution can create friction for users of all ages, it imposes a severe cognitive load on those least equipped to adapt.
For example, as digital applications become increasingly feature-rich and sophisticated, the resulting cognitive demand disproportionately affects older adults, who must navigate these complex systems while experiencing natural declines in fluid intelligence. Consequently, the burden of bridging this widening digital divide falls heavily on informal technology caregivers, turning what was once occasional tech support into a continuous requirement for independent living.
In the Media
March 2026
I’m a computer scientist. Here’s how we should help aging parents with technology.
Produced in collaboration with The Conversation and published in The Washington Post, this piece introduces the concept of tech caregiving—the hidden labor placed upon families and communities when everyday technology fails to accommodate older adults.
February 2025
Aging in the Age of Apps
A mainstream feature exploring the exact familial tech-support dynamics—the struggle of aging parents and the invisible workload placed on adult children—that my lab works to solve through HCI design.
Selected Publications
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Reducing the Search Space on demand helps Older Adults find Mobile UI Features quickly, on par with Younger Adults. CHI 2024.
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A Cross-Cultural Study of Relational Maintenance in Tech Caregiving. CHI 2023.
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Development and Evaluation of the Mobile Tech Support Questionnaire (MTSQ) for Older Adults. ASSETS 2024.
Read the Article | Download the questionnaire | Scoring guidelines
Senior Technology Learning Preferences Model for Mobile Technology. MobileHCI 2023.
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View my complete publication history on Google Scholar.
Resources & Notable Reads
Resources
Cognitive accessibility features on iPhone
For informal technology caregivers supporting aging adults or individuals with cognitive disabilities, setting up a simplified smartphone interface is a powerful intervention. Customizing core features helps reduce cognitive load and restores digital autonomy.
Find more here
Action Blocks on Android
Google’s Action Blocks allow technology caregivers to transform complex, multi-step navigations into single-tap visual commands. By creating custom, photo-based buttons on the home screen, caregivers can significantly lower the cognitive barrier for routine activities, such as calling family or checking the weather.
Find more here
Notable Reads
Envisioning financial technology support for older adults through cognitive and life transitions. CHI 2025.
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HelpCall: Designing informal technology assistance for older adults via videoconferencing. CHI 2024.
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Developing a framework for digital activities of daily living. The Gerontologist 2024.
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Contact
For media inquiries or research collaborations, please contact debchatt@uic.edu.
Copyright © 2026 Debaleena C, Ph.D.