“For us, Alibaba was just a story”: Despite the power of habit older people are gradually adopting the digital discourse
Information technology can help older persons continue living independently and keep them active for many years. The aim of the present study is to understand the expectations of older people regarding information technology, how they perceive it, how useful they find it and how significant it is in...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Linköping University Electronic Press
2021-08-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Ageing and Later Life |
| Online Access: | https://ijal.se/article/view/3399 |
| _version_ | 1818900758849912832 |
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| author | Shlomit Manor Arie Herscovici |
| author_facet | Shlomit Manor Arie Herscovici |
| author_sort | Shlomit Manor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Information technology can help older persons continue living independently and keep them active for many years. The aim of the present study is to understand the expectations of older people regarding information technology, how they perceive it, how useful they find it and how significant it is in their life. For this purpose, we interviewed 40 older people aged 65-93 who were attending day centers.
The findings, which were examined in light of the continuity theory presented by Atchley (1989), reveal different levels of resistance to technology that range from rejection and tendency to preserve previous familiar patterns to acceptance of the technology. Findings indicate cracks in the continuity strategy. The discourse about information technology among the older persons is ambivalent, incoherent, and laden with internal contradictions. Older people are immigrants to the new digital world; they do not speak its language and feel alienated from it, simultaneously accepting and rejecting it. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T20:08:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-372e78b0911843c1aaecab560d1061b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1652-8670 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T20:08:57Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Linköping University Electronic Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Ageing and Later Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-372e78b0911843c1aaecab560d1061b52022-12-21T20:07:21ZengLinköping University Electronic PressInternational Journal of Ageing and Later Life1652-86702021-08-0110.3384/ijal.1652-8670.3399“For us, Alibaba was just a story”: Despite the power of habit older people are gradually adopting the digital discourseShlomit Manor0Arie Herscovici1{'en_US': 'Western Galilee College'}Western Galilee CollegeInformation technology can help older persons continue living independently and keep them active for many years. The aim of the present study is to understand the expectations of older people regarding information technology, how they perceive it, how useful they find it and how significant it is in their life. For this purpose, we interviewed 40 older people aged 65-93 who were attending day centers. The findings, which were examined in light of the continuity theory presented by Atchley (1989), reveal different levels of resistance to technology that range from rejection and tendency to preserve previous familiar patterns to acceptance of the technology. Findings indicate cracks in the continuity strategy. The discourse about information technology among the older persons is ambivalent, incoherent, and laden with internal contradictions. Older people are immigrants to the new digital world; they do not speak its language and feel alienated from it, simultaneously accepting and rejecting it.https://ijal.se/article/view/3399 |
| spellingShingle | Shlomit Manor Arie Herscovici “For us, Alibaba was just a story”: Despite the power of habit older people are gradually adopting the digital discourse International Journal of Ageing and Later Life |
| title | “For us, Alibaba was just a story”: Despite the power of habit older people are gradually adopting the digital discourse |
| title_full | “For us, Alibaba was just a story”: Despite the power of habit older people are gradually adopting the digital discourse |
| title_fullStr | “For us, Alibaba was just a story”: Despite the power of habit older people are gradually adopting the digital discourse |
| title_full_unstemmed | “For us, Alibaba was just a story”: Despite the power of habit older people are gradually adopting the digital discourse |
| title_short | “For us, Alibaba was just a story”: Despite the power of habit older people are gradually adopting the digital discourse |
| title_sort | for us alibaba was just a story despite the power of habit older people are gradually adopting the digital discourse |
| url | https://ijal.se/article/view/3399 |
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