Abstract
This article presents the results of a qualitative-quantitative research on the relationship between work background and digital media use among the elderly. The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between gender, employment status and professional level, and the technological endowments, skills, use and appropriation processes of ICT by the elderly. A sample of 900 Italians between 65 and 74 years old was used for quantitative analysis, together with 20 in-depth interviews. The research was conducted between December 2013 and April 2014. From the results it emerges that gender, working condition and professional level differently influence technological endowment, frequency of use of Internet and PC and Social Networks, while gender, income and educational qualification determine IT competence. This evidence was further corroborated and enriched by the ethnographic investigation.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
UNDESA: World Population Ageing 2019. World Population Ageing 2019, vol. 64 (2019)
ISTAT: IndicatoriDemografici—Year 2020, vol. 12 (2020)
Rossi, G., Boccacin, L., Bramanti, D., Meda, S.G.: Active ageing: intergenerational relationships and social generativity. Stud. Health Technol. Inform. 203, 57–68 (2014)
Rosina, A.: Il futuro non invecchia. Vita e Pensiero (2018)
Bordone, V., Arpino, B., Rosina, A.: Forever young? An analysis of the factors influencing perceptions of ageing. Ageing Soc. 40(8), 1669–1693 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X19000084
Carlo, S., Sourbati, M.: Age and technology in digital inclusion policy: a study of italy and the UK. ESSACHESS – J. Commun. Stud, 13(2(26)), 107–127 (2020)
Hänninen, R., Taipale, S., Luostari, R.: Exploring heterogeneous ICT use among older adults: the warm experts’ perspective. New Media Soc. 23(6), 1584–1601 (2021)
Ragnedda, M.: Conceptualizing digital capital. Telemat. Inform. 35(8), 2366–2375 (2018)
Colombo, F., Aroldi, P., Carlo, S.: Nuevosmayores, viejas brechas: TIC, desigualdad y bienestaren la tercera edad en Italia. Comunicar: Revista Científica de Comunicación y Educación 23(45), 47–55 (2015)
Walker, A., Maltby, T.: Active ageing: a strategic policy solution to demographic ageing in the European Union’. Int. J. Soc. Welf. 21(S1), 117–130 (2012)
Sims, T., Reed, A.E., Carr, D.C.: Information and communication technology use is related to higher well-being among the oldest-old. J. Gerontol. Ser. B Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci. 72(5), 761–770 (2017)
Khvorostianov, N.: “Thanks to the internet, we remain a family”: ICT domestication by elderly immigrants and their families in Israel. J. Fam. Commun. 16(4), 355–368 (2016)
Heo, J., Chun, S., Lee, S., Lee, K.H., Kim, J.: Internet use and well-being in older adults. Cyberpsychol. Behav. Soc. Netw. 18(5), 268–272 (2015)
Tadic, D.: Virpi T: Beyond Successful and Active Ageing: A Theory of Model Ageing, 119 p. Policy Press, Bristol (2018). ISBN 978-1-4473-3017-2 (hardback). Int. J. Ageing Later Life 11(2), 87–88 (2016)
Carney, G., Macnicol, J.: Neoliberalising Old Age, 242 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2015). pbk £25.83, ISBN 13-978-1-107-53554-1. Ageing Soc. 37(4), 874–875 (2017)
Pirone, F., Pratschke, J., Rebeggiani, E.: Un’indagine sull’uso delle Ict tra gli over 50: Considerazioni su nuovi fattori di disuguaglianza sociale e territoriale. SOCIOLOGIA DEL LAVORO (2008)
Arief, M., Rissanen, S., Saranto, K.: Influence of previous work experience and education on Internet use of people in their 60s and 70s. BMJ Health Care Inform. 25(3) (2018)
Cavapozzi, D., Dal Bianco, C.: Does retirement decrease the familiarity with ICT of older individuals? In: Working Paper 2020:01, Department of Economics, University of Venice «Ca’ Foscari» (2020)
Biagi, F., Cavapozzi, D., Miniaci, R.: Employment transitions and computer use of older workers [Post-Print]. HAL (2011)
Kim, J., Lee, H.Y., Christensen, M.C., Merighi, J.R.: Technology access and use, and their associations with social engagement among older adults: do women and men differ? J. Gerontol. Ser. B 72(5), 836–845 (2017)
Silverstone, R., Hirsch, E.: Consuming Technologies: Media and Information in Domestic Spaces. Routledge; CRC Press, Abingdon (1993)
Sala, E., Gaia, A.: Older People’s use of «information and communication technology» in Europe. The Italian Case. Autonomielocali e servizi sociali, February 2019 (2019)
Glaser, B., Strauss, A.: The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Weidenfeld and Nicholson, London (1967)
Loos, E.F.: Senior citizens: digital immigrants in their own country? Observatorio (OBS*) J. 6(1), 1–23 (2012)
Peacock, S.E., Künemund, H.: Senior citizens and internet technology. Eur. J. Ageing 4(4), 191–200 (2007)
Loos, E.F.: Generational use of new media and the (ir)relevance of age. In: Colombo, F., Fortunati, L. (eds.) Broadband Society and Generational Changes, pp. 259–273. Peter Lang, Berlin (2011)
van Dijk, J.A.G.M.: The evolution of the digital divide—the digital divide turns to inequality of skills and usage. Digit. Enlightenment Yearb. 2012, 57–78 (2012)
Carlo, S., Vergani, M.: Benefici e rischi percepiti negli usi delle ICT tra gli anziani italiani. Stud. Sociol. 54(2), 169–186 (2016)
Setftersten, R.A., Lovegreen, L.D.: Educational experiences throughout adult life: new hopes or no hope for life-course flexibility? Res. Aging 20(4), 506–538 (1998)
Paz, A., Doron, I., Tur-Sinai, A.: Gender, aging, and the economics of “active aging”: setting a new research agenda. J. Women Aging 30(3), 184–203 (2018)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Carlo, S., Buscicchio, G. (2022). Work, Digital Devices and Later Life: A Quanti-qualitative Research. In: Gao, Q., Zhou, J. (eds) Human Aspects of IT for the Aged Population. Design, Interaction and Technology Acceptance. HCII 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13330. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05581-2_32
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05581-2_32
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-05580-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-05581-2
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)