Technology: A Bridge or a Wall? The Inter(intra)generational Use of ICTs Among Italian Grandmothers

Our research aims to investigate the role played by media and ICTs in building intergenerational and intragenerational relations for the grandparents. The project aims to understand how grandmothers use Facebook and digital devices (computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones) within the family and the friend networks, the role of communication technologies for entertainment and the resistance and difficulties in using ICT for elderly. Data for research analysis was collected through four focus groups conducted with 28 Italian grandmothers living in Milan, Italy. Our focus groups show an intricate scenario: although the trigger to start to use new digital technology comes from family and people belonging to different generations, the daily use of the ICTs reveals a complex relationship with children and grandchildren regarding technological issues, which often characterized by incompatible netiquette, different competences and lack of learning assistance. As more elderly are going online and widening their online interactions, further research should be pursued to understand how older people use digital technologies to communicate with peers and to point out the differences between elderly digital use for intra and intergenerational communication.