Document details

Gerontechnology: Understanding Older Adult Information and Communication Technology Use

Bingley: Emerald Publishing (2019), xv, 209 pp.

Contains 16 figures, glossary pp. 181-185, bibliogr. pp. 187-200, index

ISBN 978-1-78743-292-5 (print); 978-1-78743-291-8 (online)

CC BY

"The ICT User Typology categorizes older adults’ ICT use into one of five user types, each of which has a unique pattern of ICT introduction, use, display, and meaning they ascribe to technologies: The Enthusiast user type thinks ICTs and other forms of technology are great fun toys. They have wonderful memories of using ICTs as children, including being encouraged by adults to “tinker” and “play” with technology [...] The Practicalist user type views ICTs as tools that are used to get a job done, for a specific purpose. They are typically exposed to ICTs in their work and they tend to hold jobs in which technology is heavily used [...] The Socializer user type tends to have large intergenerational networks and be highly involved in their communities, often through religious organizations and/or large families. They view ICTs as connectors between people and tend to prefer mobile communication technology [...] The Traditionalist user type also speaks about their love for ICTs. However, the technologies that Traditionalists love are the ones from their young adulthood (in the case of the older adults spoken about in this book, the television, radio, and telephone) [...] The Guardian user type tends to view all ICTs with suspicion, as they believe that technology can bring out the negative traits in individuals - traits such as gluttony and laziness. While they use many modern forms of advanced ICTs, they tend to be very cautious and regulated in how and how much they use them." (Page 3)
1 Understanding Older Adult Technology Use: An Introduction to the ICT User Typology, 1
2 Enthusiasts: The Technological Evangelists, 9
3 Practicalists: The Technological Tool Users, 27
4 Socializers: The Technological Social Butterflies, 43
5 Traditionalists: The Keepers of Technological Tradition, 59
6 Guardians: The Technological Resistance Fighters, 73
7 Understanding the ICT User Typology and the User Types, 95
8 User Types and the Life Course: Toward Understanding the Universality of User Types, 107
9 The ICT User Typology in Context: A Theoretical Perspective, 127
10 Breaking the Digital Divide, 141
11 Discovery of the ICT User Typology, 159