Author(s)

Di He ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Xi'an Peihua University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710125, China

Corresponding Author

Di He

ABSTRACT

Population aging has led to an increase in emotional health problems among the elderly, while traditional healing methods are often limited by time and space constraints and lack personalization. To address these issues, this study systematically analyzes five digital media and interactive emotional healing technology models: virtual reality, artificial emotional companionship, multimedia reminiscence therapy, somatosensory interactive movement therapy, and remote social interaction therapy. Through its investigation, the study revealed three core findings: (1) Multimedia reminiscence therapy has the strongest evidence base, supported by a large number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses, as well as the best cost-benefit ratio, with equipment costing between $500 and $3,000. It has become the gold standard for non-pharmacological interventions. While virtual reality has a significant anxiety-reducing effect, it is limited by its high cost, ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, and low accessibility, with urban coverage of less than 5%. Use of immersion and interactive emotional accompaniment is effective and significantly reduces anxiety. (2) Digital technology breaks through the temporal and spatial limitations of traditional healing through immersive experience, an intelligent adaptation mechanism, and a continuous feedback mechanism.(3) The five modalities are in a complementary relationship, and the optimal healing effect comes from a multimodal combination customized according to an individual's condition. Depending on their resource levels, the study provides tiered deployment strategies. Specifically, high-resource organizations integrate virtual reality and artificial intelligence; communities prioritize interactive multimedia and somatosensory interactions; and families adopt a low-cost solution combining tele-socialization and reminiscence therapy. This research has several limitations. First, the synergistic effects of multimodal combinations have not been validated using large samples. Next, the digital divide and cultural adaptation issues in less-developed regions have not been fully explored. Decision-support tools should be developed in the future to guide the selection of technological options with a focus on improving accessibility and designing for rural areas.

KEYWORDS

The elderly population; digital media interaction; emotional healing; virtual reality technology; artificial intelligence accompaniment

CITE THIS PAPER

Di He. A study on the application of digital media interaction technology in the emotional healing of the elderly population. Applied & Educational Psychology (2026). Vol. 7, No.1, 155-163. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/appep.2026.070117.

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