Sharing interspecies stories on social media

Larissa Hjorth, Caitlin McGrane, Katrin Gerber, and Peta Murray highlight an often-overlooked intersection of play and politics by exploring the experiences of Australian older adults who share their lives with pets through social media. Drawing from sociogerontology, the authors interviewed ten elderly individuals to understand how these social media interactions facilitate connections between humans and more-than-humans, fostering sensory, social, and emotional bonds. Politically, the chapter addresses the dual challenge of elderly people overcoming digital exclusion and challenging the human–animal divide. It explores how pet interactions function as a form of play and contribute to “aging well,” while also considering the political implications of human–animal relationships in digital spaces.