The Problem Of Digital Inequality of Older People in Belarus: Methodological and Empirical Analysis
Abstract
The ubiquity of digital technologies has become a defining feature of modern culture, economics, politics and society of modern type in general, which led to the emergence of an issue of involving all citizens into the digital environment. Against this background, the authors argue that the problem of integrating elderly people into the digital society requires more detailed consideration. The digital inequality phenomenon emerging in societies of modern type covers the spectrum of educational, social, economic and cultural barriers that support and reproduce this form of inequality. Based on empirical research data, indicators reflecting the degree of elderly people’s interaction with digital devices, technologies and services are defined. The results allow to conclude that place of residence, level of education and involvement in work activities have a positive impact on user's potential of elderly people.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This article is part of the research project “Digital Divide as a Factor of Social Exclusion of the Elderly in the Republic of Belarus”, funded by BRFFR, No. Г22М-007 dated May 4, 2022.
Downloads
References
Беликов, В. А. (2019). Характеристика этапов десоциализации личности в пожилом возрасте. Вестник Южно-Уральского государственного гуманитарно-педагогического университета, (2), 210–227. https://10.25588/CSPU.2019.68.35.015
Беликов, В. А., Романов П. Ю., Валеев А. С., и Григорьев Е. Н. (2020). Деятельностный фактор предупреждения или смягчения десоциализации личности. Педагогика. Вопросы теории и практики, 5(6), 719–726. https://doi.org/10.30853/ped200148
Кучмаева, О. В. (2018). Социальная активность пожилых россиян и перспективы реализации политики «активного старения». Население и экономика, 2(4), 47–84. https://doi.org/10.3897/popecon.2.e36060
Примак, Ю. А., Гизатова, И. А. (2012). Особенности социальной работы с пожилыми людьми. В М. Н. Ахметова, Ю. В. Иванова, К. С. Лактионов, М. Г. Комогорцев, В. В. Ахметова, В. С. Брезгин, А. В. Котляров, и А. С. Яхина (ред.), Педагогическое мастерство (II). Сборник материалов международной заочной научной конференции «Педагогическое мастерство (II)» (сс. 274–275). Буки-Веди. https://moluch.ru/conf/ped/archive/22/
Смолькин, А. (2014). Уважение к старости: социологическая концептуализация. Социология власти, (3), 31–43. https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?edn=tfqpjz
Blank, G., Groselj, D. (2014). Dimensions of Internet use: Amount, variety, and types. Information, Communication & Society, 17(4), 417–435. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2014.889189
Ferreira, D., Vale, M., Carmo, R. M., Encalada-Abarca, L., & Marcolin, C. (2021). The three levels of the urban digital divide: Bridging issues of coverage, usage and its outcomes in VGI platforms. Geoforum, (124), 195–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.05.002
Hargittai, E. (2002). Second-Level Digital Divide: Differences in People’s Online Skills. First Monday, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v7i4.942
Hargittai, E. (2005). Survey measures of web-oriented digital literacy. Social Science Computer Review, 23(3), 371–379. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439305275911
Hargittai, E., Hsieh, Y. P. (2011). Succinct survey measures of web-use skills. Social Science Computer Review, 30(1), 95–107. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439310397146
Stevenson, S. (2009). Digital Divide: A Discursive Move Away from the Real Inequities. The Information Society, 25(1), 1–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01972240802587539
van Deursen, A. J. A. M., Helsper, E. J. (2015a). A nuanced understanding of Internet use and non-use among the elderly. European Journal of Communication, 30(2), 171–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/026732311557805
van Deursen, A. J. A. M., Helsper, E. J. (2015b). The Third-Level Digital Divide: Who Benefits Most from Being Online? Communication and Information Technologies Annual, (10), 29–52. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2050-206020150000010002
van Deursen, A. J. A. M., van Dijk, J. A. G. M. (2010). Measuring Internet skills. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 26(10), 891–916. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2010.496338
van Dijk, J. A. (2005). The deepening divide: Inequality in the information society. SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452229812
van Jaarsveld, G. M. (2020). The Effects of COVID-19 Among the Elderly Population: A Case for Closing the Digital Divide. Frontiers in Psychiatry, (11), Article 577427. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.577427
Vaportzis, E., Clausen, M. G., & Gow, A. J. (2017). Older Adults Perceptions of Technology and Barriers to Interacting with Tablet Computers: A Focus Group Study. Frontiers in Psychology, (8), Article 1687. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01687
Vehovar, V., Sicherl, P., Hüsing, T., & Dolnicar, V. (2006). Methodological Challenges of Digital Divide Measurements. The Information Society, 22(5), 279–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/01972240600904076
Warschauer, M., Matuchniak, T. (2010). New Technology and Digital Worlds: Analyzing Evidence of Equity in Access, Use, and Outcomes. Review of Research in Education, 34(1), 179–225. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X09349791
Yu, R. P., Ellison, N. B., McCammon, R. J., & Langa, K. M. (2016). Mapping the two levels of digital divide: Internet access and social network site adoption among older adults in the USA, 19(10), 1445–1464. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2015.1109695