scholarly journals Heterogeneity of traditional and digital media use among older adults: A six-country comparison

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 ◽  
pp. 101642
Author(s):  
Sakari Taipale ◽  
Tomi Oinas ◽  
Joonas Karhinen
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. e520101220916
Author(s):  
Juliana Cordeiro Carvalho ◽  
Gabriela Cabett Cipolli ◽  
Vanessa Alonso ◽  
Meire Cachioni

Objective: To identify the purpose of digital media use among older adults during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methodology: The indexed literature published in English, Spanish and Portuguese will be systematically searched on 7 databases; the references of studies included will be searched manually. Two authors will independently evaluate titles, abstracts and full-texts according to eligibility criteria. A customized data extraction form will be used to chart the data extracted from the studies. For consideration, studies must be in English, Portuguese or Spanish; involve older adults aged ≥ 55 years (or mean age 60 years); assess older adults who used digital media during the Covid-19 pandemic; be empirical studies with qualitative or quantitative data, have crosssectional or longitudinal design, be letters to the Editor and editorials, and be published between the end of 2019 and 2021. Results: Results will be charted in a table and accompanied by a narrative summary.


2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 1207-1228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anabel Quan-Haase ◽  
Carly Williams ◽  
Maria Kicevski ◽  
Isioma Elueze ◽  
Barry Wellman

Although research has demonstrated a grey divide where older adults are less involved and skilled with digital media than younger adults, by treating them as a homogenous group, it has overlooked differences in their digital skills and media use. Based on 41 in-depth interviews with older adults (aged 65+ years) in East York, Toronto, we developed a typology that moves beyond seeing older adults as Non-Users to include Reluctants, Apprehensives, Basic Users, Go-Getters, and Savvy Users. We find a nonlinear association between older adults’ skill levels and online engagement, as many East York older adults are not letting their skill levels dictate their online involvement. They engage in a wide range of online activities despite having limited skills, and some are eager to learn as they go. Older adults often compared their digital media use with their peers and to more tech-adept younger generations, and these comparisons influenced their attitudes toward digital media. Their narratives of mastery included both a positive sense that they can stay connected and learn new skills and a negative sense that digital media might overwhelm them or waste their time. We draw conclusions for public policy based on our findings on how digital media intersect with the lives of East York older adults.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-146
Author(s):  
András Vajda ◽  
Gyöngyvér Erika Tőkés

Abstract This paper analyses the media practices of older adults from Mureş County (village and small town). The first part of this paper examines the integration of digital media into current society and everyday life along with the characteristics of the knowledge and skill acquisition related to digital media. The second half, grounded on empirical qualitative data, offers insight into the digital media practices of older people in Mureş County, Romania, as well as into their opportunities and the contexts regarding the knowledge and skill acquisition necessary for the use of digital media. The paper is based on an exploratory qualitative research aimed at offering insight into the Romanian situation, identifying the obstacles to the digital media use of the older people living in rural areas, and laying the groundwork for a more extended study.


Author(s):  
Douglas A. Parry ◽  
Brittany I. Davidson ◽  
Craig J. R. Sewall ◽  
Jacob T. Fisher ◽  
Hannah Mieczkowski ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Hong ◽  
Jingjing Fu ◽  
Dehui Kong ◽  
Siqi Liu ◽  
Zhu Zhong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background With the development of digital media, online activities are increasingly becoming part of the daily life of older adults. Widowed older adults generally would face changes in social interactions and activities due to widowhood; thus, the importance of online participation may be more prominent in this population. However, a detailed evidence on the experiences of online social participation among widowed older adults is relatively sparse. This study aimed to explore widowed older adults’ perceptions regarding online social participation in southwestern China. Methods This study adopted a qualitative approach. Semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with 19 widowed older adults between September–December 2020. Thematic analysis was applied to analyse the data. Results Two major themes, “benefits” and “barriers” were identified from the original data analysis. Subcategories concerning the theme “benefits” were “benefit perception (convenience, flexible time, supplementation)”, “health promotion”, “emotional comfort”, and “social connection”. Subcategories of “barriers” were “worries: personal economic loss”, “concerns: security of digital device”, “troubles: the diversity of online social participation”, and “difficulties: using digital media”. Conclusions Social participation of widowed older adults in southwestern China has begun to be integrated into the digital world; however, it remains at an early stage with the simple purpose of engagement. The older adults may face many challenges for online social participation. Although there are barriers and challenges in online social participation, widowed older adults can reap its benefits, which can be used as an important measure to facilitate a fulfilling life and successful ageing. There is no doubt that online social participation will become a trend within the foreseeable future. Family, friends and health care professionals should pay more attention to the needs of online social participation in widowed older adults and provide adequate support for them to achieve a meaningful life.


Author(s):  
Germaine Halegoua ◽  
Erika Polson

This brief essay introduces the special issue on the topic of ‘digital placemaking’ – a concept describing the use of digital media to create a sense of place for oneself and/or others. As a broad framework that encompasses a variety of practices used to create emotional attachments to place through digital media use, digital placemaking can be examined across a variety of domains. The concept acknowledges that, at its core, a drive to create and control a sense of place is understood as primary to how social actors identify with each other and express their identities and how communities organize to build more meaningful and connected spaces. This idea runs through the articles in the issue, exploring the many ways people use digital media, under varied conditions, to negotiate differential mobilities and become placemakers – practices that may expose or amplify preexisting inequities, exclusions, or erasures in the ways that certain populations experience digital media in place and placemaking.


2021 ◽  
pp. 101497
Author(s):  
Adam M. Leventhal ◽  
Junhan Cho ◽  
Katherine M. Keyes ◽  
Jennifer Zink ◽  
Kira E. Riehm ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Lars Eichen ◽  
Sigrid Hackl‐Wimmer ◽  
Marina Tanja Waltraud Eglmaier ◽  
Helmut Karl Lackner ◽  
Manuela Paechter ◽  
...  
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