Digital Media Use and Social Inclusion: A Case Study of East York Older Adults

Digital media is essential to sustaining communication with various types of social ties. However, older adults (aged 65+) are reported to be the least likely to use digital media. While statistics show that older adults are increasingly using more digital media, evidence shows this is predominately aging long-term users of digital media rather than older adults adopting new digital media. To investigate this “grey divide” and adoption of digital media by older adults, this study qualitatively analyses semi-structured interviews of 41 individuals aged 65 and older from the East York region of Toronto, Canada. Our findings suggest that satisfaction with personal digital skill levels and attitudes toward digital media influence the adoption of new digital technology in older adults. Additionally, we discuss the benefits and challenges older adults face when deciding to adopt new digital technologies. Finally, we offer the implications of this research and provide insights for training and policy development.