![]() |
[email protected] |
![]() |
3275638434 |
![]() |
![]() |
Paper Publishing WeChat |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
A Study of Digital Disconnection Among Older Adults in the Internet Age
JIAO Ruotong
Full-Text PDF
XML 764 Views
DOI:10.17265/2159-5542/2023.04.003
Jilin University, Changchun City, China
With internet and smartphone usage increasing every year, seniors are being exposed to digital media, either actively or passively. To better integrate into the information society for the elderly, efforts are also needed to clarify the causes of their digital disconnection and develop appropriate solutions. In this study, semi-structured interviews are utilized to investigate the self-adjustment and external intervention of the elderly in the age of digital media and to explore the ways, causes, and effects of digital disconnection of the elderly. The focus issue of this study is to clarify the subjective and objective factors of digital disconnection, especially cognitive problems, group influences, and technological access barriers in the elderly population concerning digital devices and the Internet.
senior citizens, digital disconnect, digital divide, smartphones
Psychology Research, April 2023, Vol. 13, No. 4, 176-181
Antonio, A., & Tuffley, D. (2015). Bridging the age-based digital divide. International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence (IJDLDC), 6(3), 1-15.
Blažič, B. J., & Blažič, A. J. (2020). Overcoming the digital divide with a modern approach to learning digital skills for elderly adults. Education and Information Technologies, 25(1), 259-279.
Drori, G. S., & Jang, Y. S. (2003). The global digital divide: A sociological assessment of trends and causes. Social Science Computer Review, 21(2), 144-161.
Friemel, T. N. (2016). The digital divide has grown old: Determinants of a digital divide among seniors. New Media & Society, 18(2), 313-331.
Gana, K., Alaphilippe, D., & Bailly, N. (2004). Positive illusions and mental and physical health in later life. Aging & Mental Health, 8(1), 58-64. doi:10.1081/13607860310001613347
He, Q., & Zhang, X. D. (2020). Factors influencing the digital divide among the elderly and strategies for social integration. Journal of Zhejiang University of Technology (Social Sciences), 16(4), 437-441.
Helsper, E. J. (2021). The digital disconnect: The social causes and consequences of digital inequalities. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Hong, Y. A., Zhou, Z., Fang, Y., & Shi, L. (2017). The digital divide and health disparities in China: Evidence from a national survey and policy implications. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(9), 7786.
Huang, C. X. (2020). Status, challenges and countermeasures of the digital divide in older adults. People’s Tribune, 29.
Korupp, S. E., & Szydlik, M. (2005). Causes and trends of the digital divide. European Sociological Review, 21(4), 409-422.
Lan, Q., & Lu, X. H. (2019). Exploring the differences in internet use among urban older adults and their influencing factors—An empirical study based on CFPS2016 data. Soft Science, 33(1), 104-108.
Liu, Q. Q., Zuo, M. Y., & Liu, M. C. (2021). An empirical analysis of the continued use of internet applications by older adults based on expectation confirmation theory. Management Review, 33(5), 89-101.
Mahncke, H. W., Bronstone, A., & Merzenich, M. M. (2006). Brain plasticity and functional losses in the aged: Scientific bases for a novel intervention. Progress in Brain Research, 157, 81-109.
Nie, Z. Y. (2017). Analysis of the internet usage status of the elderly based on segmentation representation. New Media Research, 3(19), 40-41. doi:10.16604/j.cnki.issn2096-0360.2017.19.014
Song, Z., Song, T., Yang, Y., & Wang, Z. (2019). Spatial-temporal characteristics and determinants of a digital divide in China. Sustainability, 11(17), 4529.
Van Dijk, J. A. (2017). Digital divide: Impact of access. In The international encyclopedia of media effects (pp. 1-11). Netherlands: University of Twente.
Wagner, N., Hassanein, K., & Head, M. (2010). Computer use by older adults: A multi-disciplinary review. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(5), 870-882.
Yan, G. F., Tian, R., Xiong, Z. Y., & Sun, L. H. (2019). Examining the “digital gender divide” in the 5G era: Causes and solutions: Insights from the OECD report “bridging the digital gender divide”. Journal of Distance Education, 37(5), 66-74.
Hu, Z., Peng, X. Z., & Li, G. H. (2020). Strategic changes and policy choices in the governance of China’s aging society. Social Sciences in China, 41, 185-208.
Zhang, W. P., & Fan, J. H. (2019). The construction of a social support system for the digital divide in old age. Scientific Research on Aging, 7(2), 63-70.
Zhou, Y. Q. (2014). Digital generation gap and cultural feedback: A quantitative investigation of the “quiet revolution” in the family. Modern Communication: Journal of Communication University of China, 21(2), 117-123.