1 Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA.
J Appl Gerontol. 2019 Aug;38(8):1167-1184. doi: 10.1177/0733464817732518. Epub 2017 Sep 19.
Older adults are the most digitally divided demographic group. The present study explores how older adults perceive the physical use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly across generations and contexts. Data for the present study come from nine focus groups. Seniors acknowledge that ICTs help them connect with geographically distant social ties, but that they lead to feelings of disconnection with geographically close social ties. We label this phenomenon the "physical-digital divide," which exists when a group feels ostracized or offended when those around them engage with ICTs while they themselves are not or cannot engage with ICTs. Younger generations are often referred to as "digital natives" and older generations as "digital immigrants." A more apt label for older adults may be "physical natives," as their preferred method of communication involves physical face-to-face interactions and traditional codes of etiquette. Suggestions are made for reducing the physical-digital divide.
老年人是数字鸿沟最严重的群体。本研究探讨了老年人如何感知信息和通信技术(ICT)的物理使用,特别是跨代和跨情境。本研究的数据来自于九个焦点小组。老年人承认,ICT 帮助他们与地理上遥远的社会关系联系起来,但也导致了与地理上接近的社会关系的脱节感。我们将这种现象称为“物理数字鸿沟”,当一群人感到被排斥或冒犯时,就会出现这种情况,因为当他们周围的人使用 ICT 时,他们自己没有或不能使用 ICT。年轻一代通常被称为“数字原住民”,而年长一代被称为“数字移民”。对于老年人来说,一个更恰当的标签可能是“物理原住民”,因为他们更喜欢的交流方式是面对面的物理互动和传统的礼仪规范。为了缩小物理数字鸿沟,我们提出了一些建议。