Reuter Arlind, Xu Wenqian, Iwarsson Susanne, Olsson Tobias, Schmidt Steven M
Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Department of Culture, Languages and Media, Faculty of Education and Society, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden.
Front Psychol. 2023 Mar 2;14:1107024. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1107024. eCollection 2023.
The ongoing digitalisation of societies, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to increased efforts to ensure the digital inclusion of older adults. Digital inclusion strategies throughout the COVID-19 pandemic predominantly focused on increasing access and basic digital literacy of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for all members of society. Older adults, who are more likely to experience digital exclusion, are amongst the target groups of digital inclusion strategies. We propose that beyond digital inclusion, there is a need to focus on digital participation and optimise opportunities for everyone to participate in communities and society in post-pandemic times. Creative digital skills are the foundation of digital participation and can lead to a variety of contributions. Digital participation offers conditions that support agency and active contributions in a digitalised society. Taking macro-, meso-, and micro-level enablers of digital participation in later life into account, we argue for the establishment and implementation of multi-layered and multisectoral partnerships that address environmental factors (including social and physical dimensions) of digital participation and create opportunities for diverse, meaningful and fulfilling engagement with ICTs in later life. The partnership approach can be used in designing and implementing digital participation programmes and should be further evaluated against the needs and lived experiences of older individuals. Foresighted research is needed to investigate key factors of effective partnerships for optimising environments for digital participation in later life.
社会的持续数字化，因新冠疫情而加剧，这促使人们更加努力地确保老年人的数字融入。在整个新冠疫情期间，数字融入策略主要侧重于为社会所有成员增加信息通信技术（ICT）的获取机会和基本数字素养。更容易遭遇数字排斥的老年人是数字融入策略的目标群体之一。我们认为，除了数字融入之外，还需要关注数字参与，并在疫情后时代优化每个人参与社区和社会的机会。创造性数字技能是数字参与的基础，能够带来各种各样的贡献。数字参与提供了支持在数字化社会中发挥能动性和积极贡献的条件。考虑到晚年数字参与的宏观、中观和微观层面的促进因素，我们主张建立和实施多层次、多部门的伙伴关系，以解决数字参与的环境因素（包括社会和物质层面），并为晚年与ICT进行多样化、有意义和充实的互动创造机会。伙伴关系方法可用于设计和实施数字参与计划，并且应根据老年人的需求和生活经历进行进一步评估。需要有前瞻性的研究来调查有效伙伴关系的关键因素，以便为晚年数字参与优化环境。
