Understanding internet appropriation among older people through institutional supports in Spain

The increase in healthy life expectancy and Internet use in developed countries makes it necessary to delve into Internet usage by older adults in order to harness its benefits. Considering the relevance of formal supports for the digital literacy of older people, the objectives of this study were (...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Tirado Morueta, Ramón, Rodríguez Martín, Alejandro, Álvarez Arregui, Emilio, Ortiz Sobrino, Miguel Ángel, Aguaded Gómez, José Ignacio
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositorio:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/99936
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/99936
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:004.738.5
374.7
Digital literacy
Digital skills
Digital divide
Internet access
Older adults
Ciencias Sociales
5910.02 Medios de Comunicación de Masas
Descripción
Sumario:The increase in healthy life expectancy and Internet use in developed countries makes it necessary to delve into Internet usage by older adults in order to harness its benefits. Considering the relevance of formal supports for the digital literacy of older people, the objectives of this study were (a) to verify whether there is an escalation in Internet appropriation among older people, and (b) to demonstrate that the usefulness of institutional supports for Internet appropriation depends on the type of support and age. The participants (N = 560) were retired adults (age over 54) who resided in Spain and were habitual users of institutional support programs. Two multigroup analyses with structural equations were performed, using the type of institutional support and the age range as moderating variables. Three incremental levels of appropriation were found according to their levels of physical access, use, skills and perceived benefits. Furthermore, the data showed that the effect of formal support for literacy on Internet appropriation is moderated by type of institution and suggest that institutional supports are more necessary in older ages.