Exploring Socially-Focused Technologies that Can Help Children with Cancer Feel More Like Children Despite their Disease, Treatment and Environment

This describes the background and motivation for dedicating my PhD to the exploration of socially-focused technologies for childhood cancer patients. Very little work has been done, especially in the field of human and child computer interaction, to explore the ways in which the hospital context in conjunction with the cancer experience impact children's social and emotional well-being during middle childhood (ages 6-12), and in turn how technology could improve their experience. My research seeks to (1) empower children with cancer by providing a platform for them to voice their own experiences with isolation, loneliness, and loss of a normal childhood, as well as how technology may better support their needs, (2) contribute design knowledge about how to support meaningful social interaction and play that is age and 'ability' appropriate, and (3) provide insight for future design and evaluation studies by better understanding constraints/opportunities for socially-focused technologies intended for use in a real world pediatric hospital environment.