Digital Exclusion of Older Adults

Pavićević, Olivera (2023) Digital Exclusion of Older Adults. In: Elderly People and Discrimination: Prevention and Reaction. Institute of Criminological and Sociological Research ; Vojvodina Bar Association, Belgrade ; Novi Sad, pp. 611-623. ISBN 978-86-80756-57-8

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Abstract

Ageism is a particular form of discrimination, in which individuals are judged according to age-based stereotypes, or views on what people should be doing, experiencing, or feeling depending on their age. One of the important dimensions of age discrimination, which is the subject of this paper, is the lag in using digital technology - characteristic of the older population. Older adults as a group are on the negative side of the digital divide. As the use of digital technology becomes more widespread across the globe, older people remain among the group with the lowest access and usage. Lower use rates of computers and the Internet among older adults have important social consequences. As the Internet becomes more integrated into everyday life, people who do not use the Internet are more likely to become more disenfranchised and disadvantaged. Recent reports from the International Telecommunication Union indicate that older people are at the highest risk of digital exclusion due to disabled or difficult access to the Internet, economic difficulties, lack of skills, lack of self-confidence, fear of Internet safety (cybercrime and misinformation) and lack of motivation (some people do not see why would be useful for them to use the Internet). In addition to the mentioned difficulties, there are other barriers, such as inadequate design of digital services - not all digital services are adapted to this group of users. Existing research documents the characteristics of older people that affect their participation in digital practice, and they are made up of both objective characteristics related to older age and stereotypes that close the circle of digital exclusion of the older population. The digital divide arises as a consequence of a lower level of computer literacy, technophobia, lack of perceived usefulness, and physical and cognitive deficits that must be overcome by applying a multidisciplinary approach.

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