ONE LAST THING Closing the Digital Divide
for Older Adults By Zachary White, Ph.D.
At first glance, aging adults are engaging online: according to the Pew Research Center (2022), adoption of technologies among older adults (aged 65 and older) has grown considerably in the last decade. Beyond these headlines, however, there is much more to the unfolding story that must be explored to address a digital divide that inhibits older adults from achieving digital equity, which is the “condition in which all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy, and economy.” Digital exclusion not only impacts older adults’ health,
well-being, and quality of life, it also exacerbates existing socioeconomic and racial inequities. Consequently, those most in need of access to people, information, and relevant resources are least likely to have and benefit from essential equipment (e.g., devices), reliable and affordable internet access (e.g., broadband), and digital literacy skills. By 2030, North Carolina will be comprised of more older adults than children. In order to address the digital divide amongst this least connected age demographic, now is the time to act to ensure digital inclusion is a vital component of connection literacy for aging adults. Too oſten, technology alone is equated with innovation,
especially for younger technological adopters. This unidimensional orientation misses an opportunity to acknowledge that innovation amongst and between older adults can be created, applied, and fostered in dynamic interactions leveraging technology and new media, embedded relationships, and ongoing support designed to augment offline and online connections. To fully leverage the potent synergies between social capital and digital literacy, I advocate incorporating the following principles based on my project-based experiences working with the Center for Digital Equity (CDE), housed at Queens University, and aging adults throughout North Carolina: Digitally inclusive practices should address affordable
broadband internet service, internet-enabled devices, adherence to universal design practices for digital literacy training, use of digital navigators, ongoing technical support, and a train-the-trainer model. Offline social capital that older adults already
possess — skills, values, atitudes, wisdom, goodwill, support, empathy, and local knowledge — should be fully leveraged to complement ongoing digital literacy endeavors.
48 QUEENS MAGAZINE
Since online motivation is a significant barrier for older
adults, creating, fostering, and sustaining support is instrumental in initial online adoption and usage. For socio-economically disadvantaged users in particular, internal motivation and perceived external support from acquaintances can increase older adults’ online confidence, self-efficacy, resilience, and sustained online usage. Digital inclusion programming is also likely to be more compelling when it helps people achieve goals that are relevant to their day-to-day lives. Synchronous sessions (in-person, hybrid,
online synchronous) are indispensable in creating meaningful social experiences for older adults that foster closeness, connection, real-time feedback, and collective problem-solving. The experience of “going online” needs to be
reframed. Instead of conceiving of going online as an exclusively solo act, digital literacy programs should socialize the experience of online resource inquiry, evaluation, and usage of information. The ability to maximize protection from online scams in the midst of connection can be enhanced when there are recurring and planned opportunities not only to develop skills, but also to employ collective sense-making Drawing on the resources of social capital and digital
literacy that have yet to be fully leveraged, we can ensure a more equitable and inclusive future for older adults as they become empowered to age in their communities and connect in ways that affect us all.
Zachary White, Ph.D., is associate professor of communication in the James L. Knight School of Communication, Queens University of Charlote.
A version of this article originally appeared in the North Carolina Medical Journal and has been edited for length. For the full story, visit
ncmedicaljournal.com.
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