Sonay Caner-Yıldırım

Bio:

I am Dr. Sonay Caner Yıldırım, a researcher in Computer Education and Instructional Technology at Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University, Türkiye. My work integrates social science and computer science to design technologies that are human centered. I focus on intersectional disadvantages in digital contexts, including the multiple and overlapping barriers that older adults experience in safety, access, and confidence online. My goal is to translate theory into usable, explainable, and fair tools that people can rely on in everyday life.

Grant supported actions and initiatives:

Thanks to this grant I designed and evaluated an anti-phishing prototype with and for older adults. The work delivered a bilingual (English and French) and accessibility aware prototype, study materials in plain language, and a field protocol that respects participant autonomy and dignity. Activities included recruitment and in home data collection, a pre-screening instrument, phishing decision tasks before and after prototype use, and a post survey that measured usability and digital fairness. The outcomes will inform a multi surface roadmap for bringing the assistant to email, webmail, and messaging environments.

Testimonial:

I met 13 older adults, ages 63 to 87, each with a distinct digital life and strategy for staying safe online. Sitting with them at their kitchen tables taught me more than any lab session could. I saw how age, health, income, language, social life, and lived experience intersect to shape cybersecurity choices. The most unexpected lesson was also the most human. Hospitality turned into data, showing that trust, care, and everyday routines shape security outcomes.