About the uses, perceptions, and appraisals of ICTs among older people. A case study in Northwest Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

The ubiquitous character of communication technologies defines the “information The society”, which is also characterized by the acceleration of technology as a driver of social change. These changes favored an unequal digital inclusion of older people, revealing gaps in the accessibility and use of ICTs. Therefore, we wondered how older populations use, perceive, and claim ownership over new technologies. We used a qualitative research strategy combining 16 semi-structured interviews and two focus groups with people aged 60 years and older, residing in Northwest Greater Buenos Aires. The main findings show that cell phones are the most used device. Many consider that e-skills are determined by age (digital natives versus digital immigrants). During the pandemic, many people learned how to use digital platforms and devices in record time. More than half of the senior citizens in the study are advanced users, with a diversified use of ICTs, always open to learning new things. As encouraging as this is, the other half still identifies gaps and challenges that hinder their full use of ICTs, which curtails their access to key rights for a digital and social inclusion.