scholarly journals Online social engagement, depression, and anxiety among older adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 146144482110543
Author(s):  
Matthias Hofer ◽  
Eszter Hargittai
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Using Data

As opportunities for social interactions proliferate online, questions arise as to how engagement in such activities may relate to mental health. Given older adults’ shrinking networks and increasing use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), online interactions could offer alternatives for connections that could ultimately benefit older users’ mental health. This article examines associations between older adults’ online social engagement and their mental health. Using data from an online survey of older adults ages 60+, we find positive and negative associations between different forms of online social engagement and anxiety. In terms of depression, two forms of online social engagement showed positive associations with this mental health indicator. Our results can help explain inconclusive findings of previous research on ICT use and mental health by looking at how specific online social activities relate to mental health.

The Physical–Digital Divide: Exploring the Social Gap Between Digital Natives and Physical Natives

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 1167-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Ball ◽  
Jessica Francis ◽  
Kuo-Ting Huang ◽  
Travis Kadylak ◽  
Shelia R. Cotten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Digital Natives ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Demographic Group ◽  
The Social ◽  
Information And Communication

Older adults are the most digitally divided demographic group. The present study explores how older adults perceive the physical use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly across generations and contexts. Data for the present study come from nine focus groups. Seniors acknowledge that ICTs help them connect with geographically distant social ties, but that they lead to feelings of disconnection with geographically close social ties. We label this phenomenon the “physical–digital divide,” which exists when a group feels ostracized or offended when those around them engage with ICTs while they themselves are not or cannot engage with ICTs. Younger generations are often referred to as “digital natives” and older generations as “digital immigrants.” A more apt label for older adults may be “physical natives,” as their preferred method of communication involves physical face-to-face interactions and traditional codes of etiquette. Suggestions are made for reducing the physical–digital divide.

scholarly journals Communicating public and social services through iTV: Promoting older adults’ quality of life

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-88
Author(s):  
David Campelo ◽  
Telmo Silva ◽  
Jorge Abreu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Interactive Television ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Information And Communication

As the demographic transition occurs in a global scale, dealing with the consequences of population ageing has emerged as a critical task to modern societies. This has led government entities to pay more and more attention to seniors’ concerns, limitations and needs. A deep understand of old citizens, especially those unfamiliar with Internet and smartphone technologies, is also a challenge in order to enable them to fully benefit of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). In the light of this issue, personalization and user-centred approaches involving older adults in all development stages may be the key for higher levels of user engagement with such ICT solutions as the interactive television (iTV) platform reported in this paper (+TV4E). The +TV4E is an on-going research project conducted at University of Aveiro, Portugal, based on a social inclusion approach, aiming to take benefit from the television viewing dynamics of senior viewers, by interweaving short and personalized adverts related to public and social services alongside regular broadcast contents. The platform is being designed with a user-centred approach featuring the integration of assistive technologies and multiplemultimedia communication channels. In this paper, a system architecture to deliver the informative contents is stated and a discussion of the potential social impacts of providing such platform is presented.

scholarly journals Factors Influencing Technology Use in Aural Skills Lessons

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine Pomerleau Turcotte ◽  
Maria Teresa Moreno Sala ◽  
Francis Dubé
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Instrumental Music ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Music Teachers ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Aural Skills ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Musical Dictation

In North America, aural skills (as) are usually taught to children during the instrumental music lessons. While learning musical dictation and sight-singing can be difficult for some learners, the use of appropriate technological tools could facilitate the process. However, the use of information and communication technologies (ict) by music teachers in aural skills instruction to children have not been documented. An online survey was conducted in the Province of Quebec (Canada) in order to answer the following questions: 1) To what extent do instrumental music teachers use ict when teaching as to children between 6 and 12 years old?; 2) Are the teachers’ socio-demographic characteristics, as training and perception of as teaching linked to the use and the frequency of use of ict? The results show that the use of ict to teach as is still relatively uncommon. Furthermore, it would be negatively correlated with age, competence felt during training and perceived competence to teach as. Finally, it appears that a smaller proportion of piano teachers and women use ict, or use them less often. A better understanding of the teachers’ perception of technology could help develop more adapted resources.

scholarly journals Information and communication technology, mobile devices, and medical education

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Rodríguez-Ríos ◽  
Gerardo Espinoza-Téllez ◽  
José Darío Martínez-Ezquerro ◽  
Mario Enrique Rendón-Macías
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Private University ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
School Year ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Medical Articles

AbstractIntroductionInformation and communication technologies (ICT) are practical and highly available tools. In medical education, ICTs allow physicians to update their knowledge and remember the necessary information within reach of current mobile devices. ICTs as preparation tools for medical education have not been reported for medical students in Mexico.MethodologyTo assess the use of mobile devices as ICTs with medical education purposes, we distributed a questionnaire through an online survey management system to all the medical students (n=180) from a private university in Mexico City, 100% agreed to participate. We developed a questionnaire based on previous surveys and adapted it to our university.ResultsAll participants reported possession of an electronic mobile device, and 95% used it regularly for learning purposes. Regardless of the school year, the most frequent usage given to these devices was the search and reading of medical articles, the use of medical calculators, and taking notes. As the levels in career advances, there was a reduction in the use of electronic devices. According to the students, the main barriers towards using mobile devices for learning purposes were both the lack of access to the Internet and permission from the professor to use them.ConclusionMost medical students use mobile devices for learning purposes, but usage changes during their education. It is convenient to encourage the use of mobile devices and the development of ICT skills as tools for educational purposes rather than banning their use in schools and hospitals.

scholarly journals Benefits, Satisfaction and Limitations Derived from the Performance of Intergenerational Virtual Activities: Data from a General Population Spanish Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 401
Author(s):  
Alejandro Canedo-García ◽  
Jesús-Nicasio García-Sánchez ◽  
Deilis-Ivonne Pacheco-Sanz
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Academic Education ◽  
Virtual Tools ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Intergenerational Interactions

The growing social gap between people of different generations has led to a greater interest in the study of intergenerational interactions. Digital technologies have become necessary for people of all ages to perform daily activities, increasingly including older people. The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and virtual tools can provide older people with excellent opportunities to connect with other generations, improving their quality of life and well-being. The aim of this study was to examine the benefits, satisfaction, and limitations of intergenerational interactions generated by the use of virtual tools. The participants are subjects of any age and different social groups residing in Spain and have completed an online survey. The analysis of sociodemographic data of the respondents showed that there is a significant correlation between the use of social networks and all the variables analyzed, except for their level of autonomy. Most participants who participated in intergenerational virtual activities reported the benefits of their social participation, relationships, mood, mental health, and academic education. Moreover, most participants were quite or very satisfied with the person with whom they used the virtual tools, especially if the person was a friend, their partner, sibling, another relative, or colleague. Except for grandparents, people who participated in intergenerational virtual activities and who had no limitations or disabilities were more frequently reported by the participants. In conclusion, intergenerational interactions through the use of virtual tools can contribute to improving the social inclusion and relationships of all people involved.

scholarly journals The Use of New Digital Information and Communication Technologies in Psychological Counseling during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (20) ◽  
pp. 7663
Author(s):  
Artemisa R. Dores ◽  
Andreia Geraldo ◽  
Irene P. Carvalho ◽  
Fernando Barbosa
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Professional Experience ◽  
Digital Information ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Results

The use of digital information and communication technologies (ICTs) has enabled many professionals to continue to provide their services during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about the adoption of ICTs by psychologists and the impact of such technologies on their practice. This study aimed to explore psychologists’ practices related with the use of ICTs before and during the COVID-19 lockdown, to identify the main changes that the pandemic has brought and the impact that such changes have had on their practice with clients, and also identify the factors that potentially have affected such changes. The Portuguese Psychologists Association announced the study, and 108 psychologists responded to an online survey during the mandatory lockdown. The results showed that these professionals continued to provide their services due to having adopted ICTs. Comparing with face-to-face interventions, psychologists recognized that additional precautions/knowledge were needed to use such technologies. Despite the challenges identified, they described the experience with the use of ICTs as positive, meeting clients’ adherence, and yielding positive results. Psychologists with the most years of professional experience maintained their services the most, but those with average experience showed the most favorable attitudes toward the use of technologies and web-based interventions.

scholarly journals INDIVIDUAL AND DYADIC PREDICTORS OF TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION: IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S14-S15
Author(s):  
William J Chopik ◽  
Shelia R Cotten
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Technology Adoption ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Need For Cognition ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Technology has the ability to enhance and enrich the lives of older adults by facilitating better relationships, health, and well-being. However, older adults vary in how often—and even whether—they use information and communication technologies (ICTs). Further, interactions and relationships with people in their immediate social networks might have implications for whether or not older adults adopt ICTs. In two studies of individuals (N=595 participants; Mage=67.09; 56% Female; 69.2% White) and couples (N=542 couples; Mage=63.65; 50% Female; 83.9% White), I examined individual and dyadic predictors of technology adoption among older adults. Among a wide array of individual difference constructs, the most reliable predictor of technology adoption in both individuals and their spouses was need for cognition (.08 ≤ r ≤ .23). The results will be discussed in the context of how individual differences modulate adoption and the benefits accrued from ICTs across the lifespan.

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