Stuti Arora

Sibling relationships play a crucial part in many people’s social life and are often long-lasting and unique compared to other relationships, even within a family. Parents and primary caregivers generally act as a secure base providing support and comfort when children experience negative emotions. In contrast, siblings are thought to fulfill children’s social needs and engage in fun and playful interactions with children. Although sibling relationships are characterized as hierarchical and reciprocal, they tend to be more egalitarian and symmetrical compared to family members from different generations. However, maintaining a close sibling relationship can be challenging when siblings have large age differences, which usually means a more asymmetric relationship and social circumstances between siblings. Large-gap siblings increasingly spend more time living apart as the older siblings transition out of the parental home, pursuing higher education, or entering the workforce. Our research developed multiple technology prototypes that can aid in this relationship. My project specifically focused on developing a Haptic Bubble. I am currently starting the pilot study and deployment stages so do not have conclusive findings on this technology probe; however, my hypothesis is that a technological tool that considers the direct concerns of this group will lead to higher intimacy metrics and ultimately better relationships between siblings with large-age gaps.