Older Adults on Digital Media in a Networked Society

Conventional wisdom holds that the Internet is a technology for the young. However, as this chapter shows, older adults are increasingly adopting digital media, and it is therefore critical to know more about how networks of digital communication are changing their lives in such respects as their interaction with family and friends. The authors draw upon a study using in-depth interviews of older adult residents in East York, a locality in Toronto, Canada. These interviews illuminate the roles that digital media play in managing and strengthening the personal networks of elders. Their findings challenge stereotypes about older adults and their use of the Internet. The chapter makes an evidence-based case that the Internet and related digital media help older adults develop a sense of connectedness versus isolation.

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Increasing Student Empathy Toward Older Adults Using the Virtual Dementia Tour

Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work ◽

10.18084/basw.19.1.fv3222u1026517q3 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. S-23-S-40

Author(s):

Jana Donahoe ◽

Lisa Moon ◽

Kathy VanCleave

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Work ◽

Nursing Homes ◽

Experiential Learning ◽

Older Adult ◽

Work Practice ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Student Knowledge ◽

Course Content

Educators know too well the challenges of teaching BSW students about social work practice with older adults. Students hesitate to work with older adults due to personal fears about aging, lack of experiences with this population, or stereotypical misconceptions about older adults and nursing homes. It is apparent that many students have difficulty empathizing with older adults because they have never experienced what it is like to be an older adult with dementia. A solution to this problem is incorporating an immersive experiential learning simulation called the Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT) into BSW course content. The findings indicate that the VDT was an effective evidence-based learning tool for increasing student knowledge about aging and improving their empathy and sensitivity toward older adults with dementia.

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Digital Media Behavior of School Students: Abusive Use of the Internet

Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research ◽

10.7821/naer.2018.7.284 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 140-147 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Andrés García-Umaña ◽

Ramón Tirado-Morueta

Keyword(s):

Digital Media ◽

Information Technologies ◽

Social Issues ◽

Statistical Treatment ◽

The Internet ◽

School Students ◽

Internet Abuse ◽

Use Of The Internet ◽

Main Components ◽

Educational Field

The increase in the use of information technologies encompasses all educational and social issues, even changing intergenerational skills. It is considered that the most conditioned to this effect are adolescents and young people. This research is a literary review of various studies on addiction and Internet abuse and presents relevant results of the situation of college students and their level of Internet use. The study was developed in seven educational units of Ecuador, with a sample of n = 773 students (53.6% men and 46.4% women). An instrument with sufficient validation guarantees (α.94) has been applied, verified by means of a factorial analysis of main components, which determined two study factors in the use of the Internet and loss of control and interference with life. Through a statistical treatment (Pearson) a good correlation was established (,62) between the two study dimensions, which is a concern in the educational field.

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“Citizens Too”: Safety Setting Collaboration Among Older Adults with Memory Concerns

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction ◽

10.1145/3465217 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 (5) ◽

pp. 1-32

Author(s):

Nora Mcdonald ◽

Helena M. Mentis

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Vulnerable Populations ◽

Service Provider ◽

The Other ◽

The Internet ◽

Diary Study ◽

Close Collaboration ◽

Memory Concerns ◽

With Memory

Designing technologies that support the cybersecurity of older adults with memory concerns involves wrestling with an uncomfortable paradox between surveillance and independence and the close collaboration of couples. This research captures the interactions between older adult couples where one or both have memory concerns—a primary feature of cognitive decline—as they make decisions on how to safeguard their online activities using a Safety Setting probe we designed, and over the course of several informal interviews and a diary study. Throughout, couples demonstrated a collaborative mentality to which we apply a frame of citizenship in opensource collaboration, specifically (a) histories of participation , (b) lower barriers to participation, and (c) maintaining ongoing contribution. In this metaphor of collaborative enterprise, one partner (or member of the couple) may be the service provider and the other may be the participant, but at varying moments, they may switch roles while still maintaining a collaborative focus on preserving shared assets and freedom on the internet. We conclude with a discussion of what this service provider-contributor mentality means for empowerment through citizenship, and implications for vulnerable populations’ cybersecurity.

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Older Adults and Their Internet Behaviors

Encyclopedia of Cyber Behavior ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-0315-8.ch052 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 608-619 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elizabeth Mazur ◽

Margaret L. Signorella ◽

Michelle Hough

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Technology Use ◽

Age Groups ◽

Well Being ◽

Future Research ◽

The Internet ◽

Attitudinal Barriers ◽

Cognitive Limitations ◽

Future Research Directions ◽

Use Of The Internet

Early research on older adult computer users focused on the possibility for technology to increase social interaction and alleviate loneliness. Subsequent research has been equivocal on the possible benefits of the Internet for well-being. Nonetheless, in spite of an initial “gray gap,” older adults are increasingly joining younger cohorts in using the Internet. Barriers to older adults’ use of the Internet remain, such as physical and cognitive limitations. Attitudinal barriers may exist, but it is unclear whether these result from lack of experience or differences in income or health status. Business researchers have found that older persons differ from other age groups in their Internet engagement patterns, including online buying. Future research directions include whether computers can improve cognitive functioning and quality of life, how to increase engagement levels, and if there will always be a lag in technology use among older adults.

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INTEREST GROUP SESSION—HEALTH BEHAVIOR CHANGE: USING DATA ABOUT PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS TO IMPROVE FALL PREVENTION

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.2091 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S566-S566

Author(s):

Gwen Bergen

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Fall Prevention ◽

Fall Risk ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Patient Characteristics ◽

Health Behavior Change ◽

Clinical Aspects ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Prevention Strategies

Abstract Over one in four U.S. older adults (age 65+) reports falling each year with fall-related medical costs estimated at $50 billion. The American Geriatrics Society/British Geriatrics Society Clinical Practice Guideline for Prevention of Falls in Older Persons recommends that healthcare providers assess and manage their patients’ fall risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) initiative helps healthcare providers incorporate these guidelines by providing tools on how to screen, assess, and intervene to reduce risk. Evaluations of fall prevention have focused on the clinical process and outcomes. Understanding clinical activities is important in fall prevention but a better understanding of older adult characteristics that increase fall-risk, and attitudes that may affect their adoption of evidence-based interventions could improve the effectiveness of prevention strategies. The five presentations in this session include: 1. Demographic, health and functional characteristics of older adults with increased fall risk. 2. Caregivers of people with chronic conditions or disability as a group with increased fall risk. 3. The most effective and efficient ways of identifying older adults with increased fall risk. 4. Facilitators and barriers to older adults’ adherence to evidence-based fall interventions. 5. Applying knowledge of older adult attitudes to improving an implementation of STEADI-based fall prevention. Multifactorial fall prevention strategies such as STEADI focus on the clinical aspects of fall prevention but their success depends on understanding and incorporating older adult characteristics and attitudes. The information presented in this session can inform fall prevention strategies and improve health.

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Using the Internet to Gain Personalized Degrees from Learning through Work

Industry and Higher Education ◽

10.5367/0000000054300477 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 249-258 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

John Stephenson ◽

Judy Saxton

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Online Learning ◽

Grounded Theory ◽

Work Place ◽

The Internet ◽

Grounded Theory Methodology ◽

Institutional Responses ◽

Everyday Work ◽

Use Of The Internet ◽

Depth Interviews

This paper presents the outcomes of a systematic review of the experience of the first cohorts using Ufi's online Learning through Work (LtW) facility to negotiate personalized programmes of study leading to full university awards based on projects related to their everyday work. The concept of learning through work and wider experience of online work-based learning are discussed, and the main features of the LtW programme are described. Data are drawn from user surveys and in-depth interviews of participants. A grounded theory methodology is used to allow propositions to emerge from the data about user readiness, institutional responses and wider impact on the learners and their work-place. These propositions are presented for discussion in the wider context of learner-managed learning and the use of the Internet for university-recognized learning through work.

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Dividing the Grey Divide: Deconstructing Myths About Older Adults’ Online Activities, Skills, and Attitudes

American Behavioral Scientist ◽

10.1177/0002764218777572 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 62 (9) ◽

pp. 1207-1228 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Anabel Quan-Haase ◽

Carly Williams ◽

Maria Kicevski ◽

Isioma Elueze ◽

Barry Wellman

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Digital Media ◽

Media Use ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Skill Levels ◽

Online Engagement ◽

Wide Range ◽

Online Activities ◽

Depth Interviews ◽

Negative Sense

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.

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Program Practices Predict Intergenerational Interaction among Youth and Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2905 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 794-794

Author(s):

Shannon Jarrott ◽

Shelbie Turner ◽

Jill Juris Naar ◽

Rachel Scrivano ◽

Raven Weaver

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Best Practices ◽

Older Adult ◽

Program Implementation ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Evidence Based Practices ◽

Adult Participants ◽

Potential Benefits ◽

Participant Response ◽

Intergenerational Interaction

Abstract Non-familial intergenerational programs engage younger and older people in shared programming for mutual benefit, frequently involving senior centers or adult day programs and preschools. With growing interest in the potential benefits of intergenerational strategies, it is imperative to know their effects on participant interaction during intergenerational programming. To address this knowledge gap, activity leaders at five sites serving older adults and/or preschoolers received training to implement 14 evidence-based practices during intergenerational activities involving 109 older adult and 105 preschool participants over four years. We utilized multi-level modeling to test whether variations in implementation of practices were associated with variations in participants’ responses to programming on a session-by-session basis. For both preschool and older adult participants, analyses revealed that the implementation of certain practices was associated with significantly more intergenerational interaction. Specifically, when person-centered best practices (e.g., leading activities that are age- and role-appropriate for older adults) were implemented, preschoolers (estimate=5.83, SD=2.11, p=0.01 and older adults (estimate=5.11, SD=.10, p=0.02) had more intergenerational interaction. Likewise, when environmental-centered best practices were implemented, such as pairing materials between intergenerational partners, preschoolers (estimate=6.05, SD=1.57, p=0.002) and older adults (estimate=6.50, SD=1.85, p=0.001) had more intergenerational interaction. Our findings reveal session-by-session variation in intergenerational interaction that can be impacted by implementation practices, which highlights the importance of training activity leaders to implement evidence-based practices. Researchers and practitioners should consider how session-by-session variation in program implementation affects participant response.

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