Abstract
This study examines how newspaper reading habits relate to social desire among elderly individuals living independently at home in Japan. Using a survey designed by the researchers, data on loneliness, social contact, reading frequency, and interest in socially oriented content were analyzed. Results show a positive association between newspaper interests and motivations when determining greater desire for social interaction, along with a slight reduction in loneliness. Based on these findings, the study proposes a socially assistive robot that reads news aloud, engages users, and acts as a conversational companion. The goal is to reduce loneliness, promote cognitive and emotional support, and enhance healthy life expectancy. Though causality cannot be confirmed, initial results highlight the potential of combining newspaper content and social robotics to support elderly well-being.
Yegang Du
Assistant Professor
My research interests include intelligent system, HCI, AIoT, and pervasive computing.