Intergenerational Effects on the Impacts of Technology Use in Later Life: Insights from an International, Multi-Site Study
Intergenerational Effects on the Impacts of Technology Use in Later Life: Insights from an International, Multi-Site Study
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DOI：
10.3390/ijerph17165711
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发表时间：
2020-08-01
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Xiong, Beibei
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Freeman, Shannon;Marston, Hannah R.;Xiong, Beibei
随着技术的使用进一步融入包括老年人在内的所有人的日常生活，必须调查对技术的看法和使用如何与代际关系相互交织。本文基于国际多中心研究技术在晚年生活（TILL），强调老年人的看法和技术之间的互联和代际关系是不可或缺的社会连接与他人。来自加拿大和英国农村和城市的参与者（n= 37）完成了在线调查，并参加了一个焦点小组。描述性和专题分析表明，老年人在技术上并不不利，他们利用与家人和朋友的代际关系来适应新技术，并与成年子女和孙辈保持联系，特别是当他们之间存在很大的地理距离时。参与者提到年轻的家庭成员向他们介绍并教他们如何使用数字设备，计算机和社交网站等技术。在采用新技术方面的代际支持对帮助老年人保持独立和在老年友好型城市和农村社区安享晚年具有重要意义。研究结果有助于老年学和老年技术领域关于代际影响和技术使用对晚年生活的影响的文献不断增加，并表明老年人采用新技术的灵活性和意愿，以及代际关系对于克服采用技术的障碍的价值。
As the use of technology becomes further integrated into the daily lives of all persons, including older adults, it is important to investigate how the perceptions and use of technology intersect with intergenerational relationships. Based on the international multi-centered study Technology In Later Life (TILL), this paper emphasizes the perceptions of older adults and the interconnection between technology and intergenerational relationships are integral to social connectedness with others. Participants from rural and urban sites in Canada and the UK (n= 37) completed an online survey and attended a focus group. Descriptive and thematic analyses suggest that older adults are not technologically adverse and leverage intergenerational relationships with family and friends to adjust to new technologies and to remain connected to adult children and grandchildren, especially when there is high geographic separation between them. Participants referenced younger family members as having introduced them to, and having taught them how to use, technologies such as digital devices, computers, and social networking sites. The intergenerational support in the adoption of new technologies has important implications for helping older persons to remain independent and to age in place, in both age-friendly cities and in rural communities. The findings contribute to the growing literature in the fields of gerontology and gerontechnology on intergenerational influences and the impacts of technology use in later life and suggest the flexibility and willingness of older persons to adopt to new technologies as well as the value of intergenerational relationships for overcoming barriers to technology adoption.