Access, use and attitudes regarding information and communication technologies among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the digital divide among older adults. Their everyday needs and mobility constraints forced them to go online, challenging older adults with limited access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and scarce digital abilities. Objective: This study explores factors influencing older adults' use and perception of ICTs during the pandemic. Methodology: We conducted a survey of vulnerable elderly individuals in Santiago, Chile (N=251) and followed up with face-to-face interviews with 20 participants. Results: The findings indicate that frequent smartphone use among older adults is positively correlated with their perception of comfort, usefulness, control over the device, and willingness to use it. Active users exhibit higher confidence levels and engage in a broader range of online activities, while moderate users feel less inclined to bridge the digital gap, experiencing a sense of exclusion. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of perceived control in shaping smartphone usage among older adults and underscores the interplay between attitudes and technology adoption. Despite some limitations, this research offers valuable insights into the perspectives of non-users and proxy users, as well as the barriers to internet access during a crisis.
Downloads
References
Álvarez-Dardet, S. M., Lara, B. L., & Pérez-Padilla, J. (2020). Older adults and ICT adoption: Analysis of the use and attitudes toward computers in elderly Spanish people. Computers in Human Behavior, 110, 106377. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106377
Barrantes Cáceres, R., & Cozzubo Chaparro, A. (2017). Age for learning, age for teaching: the role of inter-generational, intra-household learning in Internet use by older adults in Latin America. Information, Communication & Society, 1–17. DOI: 10.1080/1369118X.2017.1371785
Beaunoyer, E., Dupéré, S., & Guitton, M. J. (2020). COVID-19 and digital inequalities: Reciprocal impacts and mitigation strategies. Computers in human behavior, 111. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106424
Berger, A. A. (2018). Media and communication research methods: An introduction to qualitative and quantitative approaches. California: Sage Publications.
Blank, G. & Groselj, D. (2014) Dimensions of Internet use: amount, variety, and types, Information, Communication & Society, 17(4) 417-435, DOI: 10.1080/1369118X.2014.889189
Braun, M. T. (2013). Obstacles to social networking website use among older adults. Computers in human behavior, 29(3), 673-680. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2012.12.004
Callahan, C. M., Unverzagt, F. W., Hui, S. L., Perkins, A. J., & Hendrie, H. C. (2002). Six-item screener to identify cognitive impairment among potential subjects for clinical research. Medical care, 771-781. http://www.jstor. org/stable/3768143
Charness, N., & Boot, W. R. (2009). Aging and information technology use: Potential and barriers. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(5), 253-258. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8721.2009.01647.x
Chou, M. C., & Liu, C. H. (2016). Mobile instant messengers and middle-aged and elderly adults in Taiwan: Uses and gratifications. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 32(11), 835-846. DOI: 10.1080/10447318.2016.1201892
Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2011). Connection strategies: Social capital implications of Facebook-enabled communication practices. New Media & Society, 13(6), 873-892. DOI: 10.1177/1461444810385389
Esterberg, K. (2002). Qualitative methods in social research. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Diehl, C., Tavares, R., Abreu, T., Almeida, A. M. P., Silva, T. E., Santinha, G., ... & Ribeiro, O. (2022). Perceptions on extending the use of technology after the COVID-19 pandemic resolves: A Qualitative study with older adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 14152. DOI: 10.3390/ ijerph192114152.
Fernández-Ballesteros R. (2008). Active Aging. Contributions from psychology Toronto: Hogrefe & Huber Publisher. Flick, U. (2022). An introduction to qualitative research. Sage.
Gorenko, J.A., Moran, C., Flynn, M., Dobson, K. & Konnert, C. (2021). Social Isolation and Psychological Distress Among Older Adults Related to COVID-19: A Narrative Review of Remotely-Delivered Interventions and Recommendations. J Appl Gerontol, 40(1):3-13. DOI: 10.1177/0733464820958550.
Hargittai, E., Piper, A. M., & Morris, M. R. (2019). From internet access to internet skills: digital inequality among older adults. Universal Access in the Information Society, 18(4), 881-890. DOI: 10.1007/s10209-018-0617-5
Harley, D., & Fitzpatrick, G. (2009). YouTube and intergenerational communication: the case of Geriatric1927. Universal access in the information society, 8(1), 5-20. DOI: 10.1007/s10209-008-0127-y
Haase, K. R., Cosco, T., Kervin, L., Riadi, I., & O’Connell, M. E. (2021). Older adults’ experiences with using technology for socialization during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional survey study. JMIR aging, 4(2), e28010. DOI: 10.2196/28010
Hajek, A. & König, H-H. (2021). Frequency of contact with friends and relatives via internet and psychosocial factors in middle-aged and older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings from the German Ageing Survey. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2021; 1–10. DOI: 10.1002/gps.5623
He, T., Huang, C., Li, M., Zhou, Y., & Li, S. (2020). Social participation of the elderly in China: The roles of conventional media, digital access and social media engagement. Telematics and Informatics, 48, 101347. DOI: 10.1016/j. tele.2020.101347
Heinz, M., Martin, P., Margrett, J. A., Yearns, M., Franke, W., Yang, H. I., ... & Chang, C. K. (2013). Perceptions of technology among older adults. Journal of gerontological nursing, 39(1), 42-51. DOI: 10.3928/00989134- 20121204-04
Hernández Falcón,J., Jiménez Mendoza, A. y Pérez Cabrera, I. (2022). Trascendencia de la comunicación en la calidad de vida del adulto mayor en el distanciamiento social por COVID-19. Revista de Comunicación y Salud, 12,45-58. DOI: 10.35669/rcys.2022.12. e288
Hill, R., Betts, L. R., & Gardner, S. E. (2015). Older adults’ experiences and perceptions of digital technology:(Dis) empowerment, wellbeing, and inclusion. Computers in Human Behavior, 48, 415-423. DOI: 10.1016/j. chb.2015.01.062
Hunsaker, A., & Hargittai, E. (2018). A review of Internet use among older adults. New Media & Society, 20(10), 3937–3954. DOI: 10.1177/1461444818787348
INE (2018). Adultos mayores presentan mayor dependencia y participación en el mercado laboral informal. https://www.ine.cl/prensa/2020/04/15/adultos-mayores-en-chile-cuántos-hay-dónde-viven-y-en-qué-trabajan
INE (2020). Adultos mayores en Chile: ¿Cuántos hay? ¿Dónde viven? ¿Y en qué trabajan? https://www.ine.cl/prensa/2020/04/15/adultos-mayores-en-chile-cuántos-hay-dónde-viven-y-en-qué-trabajan
Jung, E. H., Walden, J., Johnson, A. C., & Sundar, S. S. (2017). Social networking in the aging context: Why older adults use or avoid Facebook. Telematics and Informatics, 34(7), 1071-1080. DOI: 10.1016/j.tele.2017.04.015
Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. (1974). The uses and gratifications approach to mass communication. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publications.
Kim, M. J., Lee, C. K., & Contractor, N. S. (2019). Seniors’ usage of mobile social network sites: Applying theories of innovation diffusion and uses and gratifications. Computers in Human Behavior, 90, 60-73. DOI: 10.1016/j. chb.2018.08.046
Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2009). Interviews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. Sage. Lee, B., Chen, Y., & Hewitt, L. (2011). Age differences in constraints encountered by seniors in their use of computers and the internet. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(3), 1231-1237. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2011.01.003
Leist, A. K. (2013). Social media use of older adults: a mini-review. Gerontology, 59(4), 378-384. https://doi. org/10.1159/000346818
Llorente-Barroso, C., Sánchez-Valle, M. & Viñarás-Abad, M. (2023). The role of the Internet in later life autonomy: Silver surfers in Spain. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10, (56). DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-01536-x
Moreno T. & Fuentes, M. (2016). Mobile communication and elderly people: Exclusion and differential use of mobile devices. Perspectivas de la Comunicación, 9(2), 7-29.
Napoli, P. M., & Obar, J. A. (2014). The emerging mobile Internet underclass: A critique of mobile Internet access. The Information Society, 30(5), 323-334. DOI: 10.1080/01972243.2014.944726
Nimrod, G. (2020). Changes in internet use when coping with stress: older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry, 28(10), 1020-1024. DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2020.07.010
Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Collins, K. M. (2007). A typology of mixed methods sampling designs in social science research. Qualitative Report, 12(2), 281-316. DOI: 10.46743/2160-3715/2007.1638
Pavez, I., & Correa, T. (2020). “I Don’t Use the Internet”: Exploring Perceptions and Practices Among Mobile-Only and Hybrid Internet Users. International Journal of Communication, 14, 2208-2226.
Pearce, K. E., & Rice, R. E. (2013). Digital divides from access to activities: Comparing mobile and personal computer Internet users. Journal of Communication, 63(4), 721-744. DOI: 10.1111/jcom.12045
Peek, S. T., Luijkx, K. G., Rijnaard, M. D., Nieboer, M. E., van der Voort, C. S., Aarts, S., ... & Wouters, E. J. (2016). Older adults’ reasons for using technology while aging in place. Gerontology, 62(2), 226-237. DOI: 10.1159/000430949
Pochintesta, P. & Múseres, N. (2022). About the Uses, Perceptions, and Appraisals of ICTs among Older People. A Case Study in Northwest Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. Research on Ageing and Social Policy, 10(2), 159- 183. DOI: 10.4471/rasp.9652
Pywell J., Vijaykumar, S., Dodd, A., & Coventry, L. (2020). Barriers to older adults’ uptake of mobile-based mental health interventions. Digital Health, 6. DOI: 10.1177/2055207620905422
Quan-Haase, A., Martin, K., & Schreurs, K. (2016). Interviews with digital seniors: ICT use in the context of everyday life. Information, Communication & Society, 19(5), 691-707. DOI: 10.1080/1369118X.2016.1140217
Quan-Haase, A., Williams, C., Kicevski, M., Elueze, I., & Wellman, B. (2018). Dividing the Grey Divide: Deconstructing Myths About Older Adults’ Online Activities, Skills, and Attitudes. American Behavioral Scientist, 62(9), 1207– 1228. DOI: 10.1177/0002764218777572
Rainie, L. (2015). Digital Divides 2015. Pew Research Center: Internet. Science & Tech. Rodríguez, I., Cajamarca, G., Herskovic, V., Fuentes, C., & Campos, M. (2017). Helping elderly users report pain levels: A study of user experience with mobile and wearable interfaces. Mobile Information Systems, 2017. DOI: 10.1155/2017/9302328
Ruggiero, T. E. (2000). Uses and gratifications theory in the 21st century. Mass communication & society, 3(1), 3-37. DOI: 10.1207/S15327825MCS0301_02
Sampieri, R. H. (2018). Metodología de la investigación: las rutas cuantitativa, cualitativa y mixta. McGraw Hill México.
Selwyn, N. (1997). Students’ attitudes toward computers: Validation of a computer attitude scale for 16–19 education. Computers & Education, 28(1), 35-41. DOI: 10.1016/S0360-1315(96)00035-8
Selwyn, N., Gorard, S., & Furlong, J. (2005). Whose Internet is it anyway? Exploring adults’(non) use of the Internet in everyday life. European journal of communication, 20(1), 5-26. DOI: 10.1177/0267323105049631
Siefert, A. (2020). The Digital Exclusion of Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 63(6-7), 674-676. DOI: 10.1080/01634372.2020.1764687
Seifert, A., Cotten, S. R., & Xie, B. (2021). A double burden of exclusion? Digital and social exclusion of older adults in times of COVID-19. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 76(3), e99-e103. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa098
Silverstone, R. (Ed.). (2005). Media, technology and everyday life in Europe: from information to communication. Aldershot, England: Ashgate.
Subedi, D. (2016). Explanatory sequential mixed method design as the third research community of knowledge claim. American Journal of Educational Research, 4(7), 570-577.
Subtel. (2017). Novena encuesta accesos y usos de Internet. https://www.subtel.gob.cl/wpcontent/uploads/2018/07/Informe_Final_IX_Encuesta_Acceso_y_Usos_Internet_2017.pdf
Sunkel, G., & Ullmann, H. (2019). Las personas mayores de América Latina en la era digital: superación de la brecha digital. Revista CEPAL, 127. https://hdl.handle.net/11362/44580
Tsatsou, P. (2021). Aging: The Two Faces of Janus in Digital Inclusion? International Journal of Communication, 15, 21.
Villalobos, P. (2017). Envejecimiento y cuidados a largo plazo en Chile: desafíos en el contexto de la OCDE. Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública, 41, 86. DOI: 10.26633/RPSP.2017.86
Villar, F. (2003). Personas mayores y ordenadores: valoración de una experiencia de formación. Revista española de geriatría y gerontología, 38(2), 86-94. DOI: 10.1016/S0211-139X(03)74862-8
Xie, C., Bai, F., Yu, H., Shi, Y., Yuan, Y., Chen, G., Li, W., Chen, G., Zhang, Z., & Li, S. J. (2012). Abnormal insula functional network is associated with episodic memory decline in amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Neuroimage, 63(1), 320-327. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.06.062
Yang, H. L., & Lin, S. L. (2019). The reasons why elderly mobile users adopt ubiquitous mobile social service.Computers in Human Behavior, 93, 62-75. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2018.12.005
Zhao, X., Wang, L., Ge, C., Zhen, X., Chen, Z., Wang, J., & Zhou, Y. (2020). Smartphone application training program improves Smartphone usage competency and quality of life among the elderly in an elder university in China: A randomized controlled trial. International journal of medical informatics, 133, 104010. DOI: 10.1016/j. ijmedinf.2019.104010
Zubatsky, M., Berg‐Weger, M., & Morley, J. (2020). Using telehealth groups to combat loneliness in older adults through COVID‐19. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16553
All articles published in this journal –unless otherwise stated- are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerives (CC-BY-ND 3.0 ES) Spain 3.0 License, which allows others to copy, distribute and transmit in a public way as long as they credit the author(s), journal and institution that publish these articles, and provided that they are not altered or modified. The complete license can be consulted in: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/deed/.es
The copyright belongs to the manuscript’s author just on the basis of creating this work:
- Moral rights are undeniable and inalienable.
- Economic or exploitation rights can be transferred to third parties, as it occurs when articles are published and authors partially or totally transfer their exploitation rights to publishers
Authors can archive their own articles in an institutional repository as long as their publications are cited in this journal.
