사이버 가족을 통한 노인의 사회통합방안에 관한 연구

A Study on the Social Integration of Older Persons through a Cyber Family Program

The Cyber Family program was developed by the Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly (RISBLE) in 2006 with funding from the Korean Commission for Youth. Through the use of a website(www.wellageing.com), the program brought elders together with a younger generation of middle school students. This program encouraged the young and older generations to have open discussions on topics centered around living a meaningful life, thus promoting intergenerational integration. The Cyber Family Program utilized cyberspace to create dialogue on the website and conducted several offline events. The participants were students from 6 middle schools and 20 older persons who are members of RISBLE. The older adults, rather than giving advice, responded with sympathy toward the youth who expressed issues they had with identity. After listening to the youth express the inner chaos that they often seemed to feel, the elders responded with loving and caring comments, and a bond across generations was formed. The Cyber Family program proved to be a successful intergenerational program and way for older persons to achieve greater social integration