Promoting intergenerational communication through location-based asynchronous video communication

Abstract

We describe the design and field evaluation of the Serendipitous Family Stories system, a web and mobile service that allows for videos to be saved in user-specified real-world locations, shared with friends and family, and then serendipitously discovered as those people approach the location of a story. Through a twenty-participant field evaluation, we discovered how this new form of location-based asynchronous communication can be used to strengthen family relationships by encouraging communication across generations and enhancing users' relationships with everyday places in their lives.