Research on Ageing and Social Policy

Forced Adoption of Technology in Older Adults. A Scoping Review of the Literature

Fernanda Cerda, Cristian Barrueto, Isabel Pavez — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The concept of forced technology adoption in older people has not been explored in depth, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where people were forced to migrate online in order to carry out their daily activities. A systematic scoping review was developed in English and Spanish-speaking indexed journals between 2020 and 2022, to identify the literature addressing this concept in terms of volume, nature and characteristics and to identify possible gaps that may exist. Using the theoretical framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley (2005), 117 articles were identified in five different databases, of which only seven met the inclusion criteria and were selected for analysis. The results show that the use of the concept applied in older people is still scarce and that there are opportunities to address it from the resistance produced by this type of adoption and the need to develop public policies that naturalize the access and use of ICT in contexts of crises and catastrophes so as not to leave isolated a vulnerable group of the population.

Youths’ Perception of the Older People and Implications in Ekiti State (Nigeria)

Babatunde Joshua Omotosho, Roleola Tobiloba — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

This study explored how young people perceive the older people and its implications on the lives of the older people in selected cities in Nigeria. Questionnaire were distributed amount 200 youths purposively selected in Oye and Ado Ekiti southwest Nigeria. In-depth interview sessions were equally conducted among 12 participants. Findings about youths’ engagements with the older people revealed that about 45 percent of the respondents felt the older people were difficult to please and too demanding; notwithstanding, a larger part of the respondents expressed a positive disposition about the older people. In-depth interview however revealed that many of the youths were not willing to have a close interaction with the older people as they considered them scary, old fashioned and too demanding. Many of the respondents attributed factors influencing their perception to family, personal experience and the media. From the older people perspective, in-depth interview revealed that the older people has not been receiving the needed supports from the youths and some of the implications include labelling; isolation, minimal support and stress. Youths’ negative perceptions about the older people are based on assumptions and media influences and not from direct experiences

Digital literacy of older women with smartphones: a dialogic approach to overcoming barriers

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The scientific literature provides evidence that the use of mobile devices with internet access by older adults contributes to their autonomy, capacity for independence, and staying connected, impacting a better quality of life and health. There is also evidence that digital exclusion in smartphone use mainly affects older people, especially women with low academic skills. However, there is very little research on successful dialogical experiences in digital literacy for older women with smartphones. This case study will help fill that gap by collecting the perceptions of female participants (aged 74-90) and female educators of a digital literacy course with smartphones that ran for two academic years. The impact on autonomy and social relationships in the framework of dialogic learning is analyzed, in addition to identifying characteristics that could be transferable to other contexts. The main results show that the dialogic approach of the course has contributed to creating a learning environment based on interactions of mutual support, overcoming the initial fear of using smartphones, developing essential skills for their daily use, and allowing participants to be more connected with family and friends.

The Pain of Modern Life: The Misery of Modern Existence

Meltem Ince Yenilmez, Eylül Kabakçı Günay — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Social isolation and loneliness are posing more problems than ever. There are concerns that the long-term effects of loneliness will be felt when the COVID-19 outbreak reaches its third year. This study examines the prevalence and components of social isolation and loneliness across Europe. This study seeks to understand the effects of loneliness within a broad framework that may be used to guide anti-loneliness measures. This study also looks at why loneliness is important to study, the connection between loneliness and social isolation, future research on the topic, and interventions that could help with the problem of unequal exposure to loneliness and lack of assistance because of one's socioeconomic status.