“Accept” or “Decline”: Alternative Options for Video Telephony Tools for Inter-Generational Family Communication

This study contributes to the discussion on video telephony for inter-generational family communication. We present an evaluation of 11 alternative interaction options next to the standard options “accept” or “decline” for video telephony in 10 family scenarios with 20 grandchildren and 20 grandparents. Results highlight a differentiated view of the two generations on family situations for inter-generational video communication. Grandparents are more likely to use video telephony in different situations than grandchildren. Further, family scenarios provoked different interactions by the two generations. Overall, we suggest alternative interaction options for inter-generational family communication enabling users to immediate react to incoming video calls to the current situation, goal, activity, context and self-disclosure needs.