Third International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

In recent decades, the field of digital inequalities has focused on understanding how access to and use of ICTs differs among individuals living in the Information Society. One group of individuals, older adults, has consistently been found to have lower levels of access and use. Consequently, this non-use has often been framed as inherently problematic and in need of intervention. However, recent research has shown that many older adults are actively choosing to not use ICTs due to a lack of interest or because the technology is not useful to them. Thus, the relationship between older adults and ICTs is much more complex than previously assumed. This research further explores the decision-making process surrounding ICT use by examining the perceived consequences and mechanisms of compensation of non-use in older adults living in assisted living facilities. Through brief surveys and semi-structured, open-ended interviews with residents, their family members, and facility staff this research examines how older adults make decisions about their ICT use, how those decisions are embedded in a social context, and the role that the decision-making process plays in establishing an individual’s autonomous sense of self.