Is learning a family matter?: Experimental study of the influence of social environment on learning by older adults in the use of mobile phones

Abstract

It is necessary to investigate the ways in which designs for the use of artifacts created by information technology (IT) can improve the quality of life of older adults who use these devices. The present research investigated how older adults learned to use mobile phones in daily life; it focused on the effects that families may exert on the acquisition of this kind of knowledge. A 3-week experiment was conducted with 11 users who had no previous experience using mobile phones. For half of the participants, their household comprised only a spouse; the households of the remaining participants comprised three generations, including children and grandchildren. The results showed that learning to use mobile phones was facilitated in participants living in households with larger families, particularly those living with younger generations. The findings suggest that differences in users' social environments create differences in the levels of use of the technology. The results are discussed in terms of the effects of family structure on older adults learning new technology.j pr_434 244..255

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