Older Adults and the Digital Divide: Current conditions and policy implications

Abstract

This study set out to investigate how digital vulnerability emerging as a recent social issue would lead to inconvenience in the daily life of old age by analyzing the information utilization and awareness of the elderly. Both quantitative and qualitative research was conducted to figure out the current information utilization of the elderly and measures to improve related policies. The investigators made the following proposals for policy directions: first, there should be systematic interest in their digital alienation at the government level; second, they need to improve their awareness of information utilization to address digital alienation in old age; third, policies designed to address digital divide among the elderly should focus on increasing their digital competency; fourth, informatization education targeting older adults needs to make use of various manpower by making connections with the old policies and collaborating with an array of local resources; and finally, it is required to make plans to address digital alienation in multilateral aspects by reflecting the diversity of the elderly.