Digital ageing: How seniors can appreciate the benefits and avoid the pitfalls of a digitalizing society.

Digitalization has radically transformed the ways we organize our social lives, consume news and entertainment, find romantic partners, and interact with authorities. Teenagers and young adults consider digital devices and the constant connection to the digital world an essential element of their daily lives, but for many older people digitalization still feels troublesome. When public authorities and businesses move their services into the web, everyday life errands such as banking, shopping or administration become difficult and next to impossible for older people who do not master the technical user interfaces. Concepts such as "digital divide" and "digital illiteracy" express existing barriers and the fact that digitalization makes many older people feel left behind or excluded. In light of recent advances in artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and robotization, the intensity of digitalization will only increase. Under such circumstances, improved digital inclusion of older people becomes a prime objective. Against this background, the overarching theme for this interdisciplinary SBO-project is the question of how a good life for seniors in the digitalizing society is possible. Older people have often been depicted as helpless victims deprived from the benefits of computers, internet and social media. However, the population of older adults is heterogeneous and so are their digital skills and social needs. In this project, we want to study how the ubiquity of digital tools and devices has changed and can improve the life of older people. In close collaboration with societal stakeholders and participating seniors, we want to contribute to the demystification of digital technology, help seniors overcoming current barriers and exclusion mechanisms and help them benefit from the advantages digital society has to offer. At the same time, we want to help fostering a criticalreflexive attitude toward the pitfalls and risks of digital technology.

Keywords:DIGITAL SOCIETY, AGEING

Disciplines:Sociology and social studies of science and technology, Social gerontology and sociology of ageing

Project type:Collaboration project