A Study on Cause Analysis of Digital Divide among Older People in Korea

Abstract

Most people in modern society enjoy various benefits due to the development of information and communication technology and smart technology in modern society. However, due to the digital divide, there is a social class that cannot enjoy abundant benefits. The representative class is the class of older people. In the latest four-year national report on the status of the digital divide, the class with largest digital divide among various information disadvantaged groups, such as the disabled, the low-income class, farmers and fishermen, and older people, is the class of older people. In this study, the causes of the digital divide among older people in Korea are analyzed from various perspectives. To this end, various statistical analyses have been conducted based on national statistical survey works over the past four years. The digital informatization level, which is an index used to measure the digital divide, can be classified into three main components: information access, information capability, and information utilization. Among the three components, the information capability is found to be the lowest. Information capability can also be divided into three components for PCs and mobile devices: installation, use, and management. Among them, management capability was found to be the lowest. Based on this analysis, various plans to reduce the digital divide among older people were proposed.

Research on the influence mechanism and governance mechanism of digital divide for the elderly on wisdom healthcare: The role of artificial intelligence and big data

“…As for the digital divide, research studies show that it exists not only between countries and regions with different levels of economic development but also between different groups of people in the same region. Different educational backgrounds, occupations, and ages are the main reasons for this phenomenon ( 18 , 19 ). However, the unsatisfactory physical condition of the elderly, coupled with complex operation and difficult understanding of digital devices, leads to an unfavorable sense of experience for the elderly to use related products and enjoy services, causing instinctive rejection of the internet and digital technology ( 20 ).…”

Designing Robots for Elderly from the Perspective of Potential End-Users: A Sociological Approach

“…The issue of discussions was also the ethical assessment of the extent that electronic technologies could be implicated in humans’ lives [ 13 , 14 ]. The peril of new technologies have come with the experience of being dependent on electronic tools and relying on machines in even simple activities [ 4 , 5 , 15 , 16 ]. The empirical works on people’s interactions with computers or other devices began to reveal the individual and social strategies for humanizing machines, establishing emotional relationships with them, trusting them and deploying to their home space [ 5 , 17 , 18 ].…”

“…We find the counter-narrative to this in arguments for posthumanism, which advocated our co-mingling with technology as a new techno-social entity [ 16 , 19 ]. The 21st century-robots have made the distinctions between human and machine thoroughly ambiguous [ 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

“…The questions of identity, boundaries and human–machine relations have influenced our debate on robots for older people [ 32 , 33 , 34 ]. We accept the thesis on ageing societies [ 6 , 16 ]. Advances in medicine and changes in lifestyle are leading to a longer life span.…”

Further thoughts on how the electronic patient-reported outcome measure (ePROM) can be implemented in the real world

“…Population aging not only is an issue in the Republic of Korea where the survey was conducted, but also is becoming a challenge worldwide [2]. Age is the factor driving the digital divide [3], indicating that simply giving the elderly technical training may not overcome any hesitancy to use an ePROM app. We propose that this issue can be addressed by employing informal support, where family members help the patient enter ePROM responses into the app.…”