SUMMARY

The world’s population is getting older at an unprecedented rate. In the last 50 years the number of people over the age of 65 has increased by roughly three and a half times. Between 20 to 40% of these people feel lonely and socially isolated, which in itself causes deterioration in health, mental decline and contributes to high rates of mortality. Sentab is an easy-to-use social networking platform built from the ground up for the most popular screen, TV, which has the fewest technical barriers. Sentab supports a socially-inclusive lifestyle by allowing the users to participate remotely in local events, enrol in educational courses and share life with family and friends to a degree that is not possible with today’s social networks. 

IMPACT

Loneliness and social isolation is a public health issue. In fact, research indicates that loneliness can have as much impact on one’s health and be a cause of mortality rates just as much as smoking. Social Finance has estimated that by addressing loneliness amongst a group of just 1,000 people, it could lead to public savings in excess of $1 million per year. Loneliness, as a risk, has not received enough attention and is an area where returns from social investment are measurable in billions of dollars. Sentab offers a new way of fighting loneliness through an inclusively designed interface, with clutter-free and empowering features and interest-based social interactions.