The Needs of Grandparents and Grandchildren in a Socially and Geographically Distanced World: A Case Study

Grandparents and grandchildren are important parts of each other's lives. However, they may not be able to always be co-located to interact and share activities. We conducted case studies to explore how grandparents and grandchildren use video calls to spend time with each other, when being co-located is not possible for extended periods of time. We found that aspects such as framing and camera work, unilateral and shared activities, and contextual awareness are especially relevant for this type of interaction, especially for children. We additionally provide potential design and exploration avenues for future research.