TY - JOUR
T1 - Technology use characteristics among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic
T2 - A cross-cultural survey
AU - Elimelech, Ortal Cohen
AU - Ferrante, Simona
AU - Josman, Naomi
AU - Meyer, Sonya
AU - Lunardini, Francesca
AU - Gómez-Raja, Jonathan
AU - Galán, Carmen
AU - Cáceres, Pilar
AU - Sciama, Piera
AU - Gros, Marianne
AU - Vurro, Clodia
AU - Rosenblum, Sara
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022
PY - 2022/11
Y1 - 2022/11
N2 - Personal computers, tablets, and smartphones may support older adults' engagement when people are required to stay home and opportunities to engage in meaningful activities are reduced during the COVID-19 period. This study aims to screen older adults’ technology-use characteristics across social, leisure, and education domains during the COVID-19 pandemic from a crosscultural viewpoint. The sample included 576 participants aged 60 and older from France (n = 62), Spain (n = 110), and Israel (n = 404). Participants completed the technology-use survey, which consists of questions about their facilities, technology usability, need for adaptations to support technology use, and changes in technology use since COVID-19. Significant differences were found between countries in facilities, χ2 (2) = 25.16, p < .001, and usability, χ2 (2) = 64.14, p < .001, across the three domains. Furthermore, 34% of technological usability was predicted by country and facilities, F (4, 568) = 72.39, p < .001. Participants noted a willingness to use technology if it was adapted for social (61%–73%), leisure (51%–71%), or educational (67%–76%) activities and that they devoted substantially more time to technology across domains (>58%) due to COVID-19. These findings highlight culture and facilities as factors that play an imperative role in supporting and enhancing the usability of technology among older adults.
AB - Personal computers, tablets, and smartphones may support older adults' engagement when people are required to stay home and opportunities to engage in meaningful activities are reduced during the COVID-19 period. This study aims to screen older adults’ technology-use characteristics across social, leisure, and education domains during the COVID-19 pandemic from a crosscultural viewpoint. The sample included 576 participants aged 60 and older from France (n = 62), Spain (n = 110), and Israel (n = 404). Participants completed the technology-use survey, which consists of questions about their facilities, technology usability, need for adaptations to support technology use, and changes in technology use since COVID-19. Significant differences were found between countries in facilities, χ2 (2) = 25.16, p < .001, and usability, χ2 (2) = 64.14, p < .001, across the three domains. Furthermore, 34% of technological usability was predicted by country and facilities, F (4, 568) = 72.39, p < .001. Participants noted a willingness to use technology if it was adapted for social (61%–73%), leisure (51%–71%), or educational (67%–76%) activities and that they devoted substantially more time to technology across domains (>58%) due to COVID-19. These findings highlight culture and facilities as factors that play an imperative role in supporting and enhancing the usability of technology among older adults.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Cultural difference
KW - Older adult
KW - Technology-use characteristics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85136014344&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.102080
DO - 10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.102080
M3 - Article
C2 - 35991080
AN - SCOPUS:85136014344
SN - 0160-791X
VL - 71
JO - Technology in Society
JF - Technology in Society
M1 - 102080
ER -
