Information and communication technology adoption among the older people: A qualitative approach

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) can empower the older people and improve their quality of life by sustaining functional independence and effective communication. Nonetheless, in developing countries like India, technology acceptance and use among the older people is limited. Therefore, there is a need to systematically understand the plausible difficulties limiting technology use and the expectations of the older people regarding ICT use. Hence, the present study is a qualitative inquiry to explore the needs, attitudes and perceived limitations of the ICT platforms among the older people. Twenty healthy volunteers across various states of India, between 60 and 75 years were recruited online via purposive sampling. A brief demographic survey was administered online using Google Forms, followed by telephonic semi‐structured interviews. Thematic Analysis using inductive and deductive coding was employed to analyse the interview transcripts. Thematic analysis yielded four overarching themes‐ (i) Usability of ICT, (ii) Anxiety and privacy concerns, (iii) Self‐perception of technology use and (iv) Need for technology literacy. The emerging themes reflected the perceptions of the older people towards ICT and identified several psycho‐social factors impacting technology acceptance among the older people. The findings suggest that several psychological factors like anxiety, motivation, interest and self‐efficacy play a role in technology acceptance among the older people. Additionally, user‐friendly interfaces and training on technology use may enhance technology acceptance among older users.

Identity in the Digital Age: An Investigation of Malaysian Perspectives on Technology and Privacy

“…On the other hand, marital status only significantly influenced the enjoyment of trying out new technologies. These results are consistent with previous research, which has shown that various demographic characteristics can influence individuals' attitudes towards technology adoption [21,22]. For example, previous studies have found that younger people are more likely to adopt new technologies than older individuals [23,24], and that males tend to have more positive attitudes towards technology adoption than females [25,26].…”