The digital divide has grown old: Determinants of a digital divide among seniors

The diffusion of the Internet is reaching a level between 80% and 90% in Western societies. Yet, while the digital divide is closing for young cohorts, it is still an issue when comparing various generations. This study focuses specifically on the so-called ‘grey divide’, a divide among seniors of a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:New media & society Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 313 - 331
Main Author: Friemel, Thomas N
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.02.2016
Subjects:
social network
social capital
Internet access
media use
seniors
grey divide
Digital divide
social context
Switzerland
ISSN:1461-4448, 1461-7315
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The diffusion of the Internet is reaching a level between 80% and 90% in Western societies. Yet, while the digital divide is closing for young cohorts, it is still an issue when comparing various generations. This study focuses specifically on the so-called ‘grey divide’, a divide among seniors of age 65+ years. Based on a representative survey in Switzerland (N = 1105), it is found that Internet use is strongly skewed in this age group leading to a partial exclusion of the old seniors (70+). Logistic regression shows that gender differences in usage disappear if controlled for education, income, technical interest, pre-retirement computer use and marital status. Furthermore, the social context appears to have a manifold influence on Internet use. Encouragement by family and friends is a strong predictor for Internet use, and private learning settings are preferred over professional courses. Implications for digital inequality initiatives and further research are discussed.
ISSN:1461-4448
1461-7315
DOI:10.1177/1461444814538648