Cybersenior Empowerment: How Some Older Individuals Are Taking Control of Their Lives

Abstract

As individuals age, many begin to perceive a loss of control in their personal and social lives. To regain some of that control, individuals are buying computers and going on the Internet. The authors suggest that individuals who go on the Internet are empowering themselves because they are participating with others in a community and increasing personal control over their lives. They discuss potential empowerment themes developed from a convenience sample of older individuals (i.e., 50 or older) by analyzing their comments on how the Internet has influenced their personal and social lives. Emerging empowerment themes include the power of change, information, guilt, and how the Internet has enriched lives and expanded worldviews. What respondents told the authors has implications for funding and development of public policy including health and quality-of-life issues.

Older adults’ experiences and perceptions of digital technology: (Dis)empowerment, wellbeing, and inclusion

“…Moreover, similar results have been reported in older adults in assisted and independent living communities: increased internet use is associated with reduced loneliness and increased social contact (Cotton, Anderson, & McCullogh, 2013). Using the internet and digital technology as a means of communication may allow older adults to compensate for potential mobility loss and lifestyle changes associated with ageing (McMellon & Schiffman, 2002) and foster a sense of empowerment. From a theoretical perspective, how older adults communicate online may also impact on their sense of social connectiveness and social inclusion.…”

“…Within debates surrounding the digital divide psychological research has generally focussed on how digital technology can compensate for loss of mobility and lifestyle changes associated with ageing (e.g., McMellon & Schiffman, 2002), or it has attempted to quantify the process of disengagement with technology (e.g., Carvalho et al, 2012). Both of these focus on the micro systems within the debate.…”

“…Empirical evidence reports that although older adults tend to predominately use the internet for communication and information seeking purposes (Erickson & Johnson, 2011), a sense of social inclusion was found to be fostered when older adults spent more time using the internet (McMellon & Schiffman, 2002;Sum, Mathews, Hughes, & Campbell, 2008). Also, those older adults who spent more time using the internet often had a larger computer mediated social network and, this in turn, promoted feelings of connectiveness (Nahm, Resnick, & Mills, 2003).…”

Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier

“…Communication is facilitated via the Internet because electronic mail allows greater flexibility in developing and maintaining personal relationships and because information can be acquired via the World Wide Web (Fox, 2001). There is certainly great potential, realized in notable cases such as SeniorNet (Ito et al, 2001), for the Internet to build social support and, while the impact on psychological well-being is an unresolved issue (Chen & Persson, 2002;Wright et al, 2000), many elders report that usage lets them transcend physical and economic limitations to mobility and increases cognitive activity (McMellon & Schiffman, 2002). As well, the future will undoubtedly involve a substantial role of the Internet for learning, job related or avocational, among older people (see .…”

Educação a Distância e Cybersêniors: um foco nas estratégias pedagógicas

“…O perfil deste grupo é formado por seniores que são mais propensos a ser desafiados por diferentes barreiras no uso das tecnologias virtuais (McMellon;Sciffman, 2002;Lee, 2012).…”