Negotiating Choice in Online Safeguards for Older Couples with Memory Concerns

Researchers of online safety for older couples where at least one partner has cognitive impairment have posited the need for more flexible and adaptive online safeguard options and systems that support shared decision-making practices to maintain autonomy. We designed a safety option probe that embodies these two design requirements and then observed the practices of such couples when engaged in collaborative online safety discussions and decision-making. Focusing on conversational roles and dynamics, we found that their navigation of safety options was often grounded in relationship histories and broader sociotechnical dynamics that long predate their cognitive issues. In addition, while the process still remained highly collaborative, it was not marked by equitable turn-taking as has been considered the hallmark of shared decision-making. We argue that future shared online safety systems for older couples with memory concerns should not focus on equitable discussion and explicit agreement as has been previously recommended and instead support mutual exploration and negotiation of safety setting choices.