“Forever young?”: Digital technology, ageism and the (non-) ideal user

The relationship between older adults and digital technology represents a privileged standpoint to highlight some important aspects of ageism. Ageism is defined as “the complex, often negative construction of old age, which takes place at the individual and the societal levels” (Ayalon & Tesch-Römer, 2018, p. 32). It deals with stereotypes and prejudices towards older adults, with a tendency to over-generalise, treating older adults as a homogeneous category, neglecting any individual (or social, cultural, etc.) differences. Such an over-generalisation represents a core element of ageism: by neglecting individual differences, ageist attitudes tend to neglect individuality itself