Co-creating Digital Public Services for an Ageing Society

Few societal trends are as ambivalent as demographic ageing and the increasing digitalisation of social life. On the one hand, there is an alarmist rhetoric around ageing societies in the Global North emphasising increasing demands on social security and health care systems; on the other hand, economists promise economic growth because of a growing consumer market—the so-called silver economy.
Similarly, on the one hand, digitalisation and associated advances in robotics and artificial intelligence are depicted as solutions to “social problems” such as an ageing society; on the other hand, warnings are raised about a sustained “digital age divide” in which older adults remain largely excluded from many forms of social participation in this brave new digital world. The dangers of this digital age divide seem more relevant than ever in light of the current global COVID-19 pandemic which requires physical distancing and strong reliance on digital communication channels (e.g. for using public and commercial services, and for enabling social
proximity).
[2021]

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