The present paper questions two assumptions which concern the relationships between elderly people and technologies: that the impact of new technologies would be by definition positive for their well-being, and that the elderly suffer digital divide because they lack interest in and because they do not have the needed cognitive capacities to adjust to these new technologies. In order to address these assumptions, this paper investigates how elderly people socially construct the meaning of the Internet and mobile phones and how their social representations are related to their perceived social well-being. A questionnaire including free association tasks and well-being measures and collecting information on the practices of use of these technologies was administered to 100 elderly people living in small- and medium-sized villages in the region of Puglia in southern Italy. The results indicate that the relationship between the social representation of new technologies and perceived social well-being is not automatically positive.

New Technologies, Ageing and Social Well-Being in a Southern Italian Context / Sarrica, Mauro; L., Fortunati; A., Contarello. - STAMPA. - (2014), pp. 19-44.

New Technologies, Ageing and Social Well-Being in a Southern Italian Context

SARRICA, Mauro;
2014

Abstract

The present paper questions two assumptions which concern the relationships between elderly people and technologies: that the impact of new technologies would be by definition positive for their well-being, and that the elderly suffer digital divide because they lack interest in and because they do not have the needed cognitive capacities to adjust to these new technologies. In order to address these assumptions, this paper investigates how elderly people socially construct the meaning of the Internet and mobile phones and how their social representations are related to their perceived social well-being. A questionnaire including free association tasks and well-being measures and collecting information on the practices of use of these technologies was administered to 100 elderly people living in small- and medium-sized villages in the region of Puglia in southern Italy. The results indicate that the relationship between the social representation of new technologies and perceived social well-being is not automatically positive.
2014
Theories and practice for Community and Social Informatics
9781921867620
elderly; ageing; social well-being; new technologies use; digital divide; south of Italy
02 Pubblicazione su volume::02a Capitolo o Articolo
New Technologies, Ageing and Social Well-Being in a Southern Italian Context / Sarrica, Mauro; L., Fortunati; A., Contarello. - STAMPA. - (2014), pp. 19-44.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/525354
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