Seniors4Change Focus Groups – Austria

One of the first steps of our project towards increasing senior engagement through social media and DIYs was to conduct focus groups with seniors in each of the participating countries, ensuring we truly understood their perspectives and experiences. Take a look at how our Austrian Focus Groups helped us connect with seniors and gain deeper insights into their needs and reality!

Across participating countries, a total of 14 focus group discussions were held, involving 91 participants. These discussions revealed diverse DIY practices among seniors, including food preservation, gardening, crafting, and repair work. While many seniors showed strong engagement with social media, others expressed concerns or faced barriers due to lack of access.

In the picturesque landscapes of Austria, where tradition and innovation intertwine, the DIY ethos manifests in distinctive and compelling ways among seniors. From quaint villages nestled in the Alps to bustling city neighborhoods, seniors across Austria embody the spirit of craftsmanship, resourcefulness, and creativity. Through our focus groups, we aimed to amplify the voices of seniors from diverse backgrounds, ensuring their experiences were not only heard but deeply understood.

In Austria, participating seniors highlighted how they integrate tradition and sustainability through DIY practices like food preservation, knitting, and repair work. Activities such as making jam from surplus produce and knitting with leftover materials are more than just hobbies—they are sustainable actions that actively reduce waste and promote resourcefulness. Repair work, too, challenges the throwaway culture, extending the life of items and promoting a more sustainable mindset. The seniors emphasized that DIY activities become not just solitary pursuits but vibrant expressions of community, connection, and environmental stewardship.

Similarly, participating seniors acknowledged social media’s role in fostering environmental activism but expressed concerns about digital engagement due to literacy gaps and access issues. Despite these barriers, there is a keen interest in connecting with peers and younger generations online to share sustainability insights. Challenges such as privacy concerns and limited technology access were noted, yet seniors displayed a strong willingness to learn and contribute to initiatives like the Seniors4Change project.

Seniors in Austria demonstrate a profound connection to traditional sustainability practices, suggesting a rich reservoir of skills that can be revitalized and modernized through projects such as ours!