Old Dogs, New Clicks: Digital Inequality in Skills and Uses among Older Adults

TLDR

Research on digital inequality often collapses all adults above a certain age into a single homogeneous group, ignoring heterogeneity in internet use. The study examines older adults’ online skills and behaviour using national survey data. The authors analyze U.S. national survey data to assess these skills and behaviours.

Abstract

Research on digital inequality tends to collapse people above a certain age into one “older adults” category, seemingly assuming that this is one homogeneous group when it comes to internet uses. Drawing on national survey data of adults in the United States, this article examines the online skills and behaviour of this group. Findings reveal diversity among older adults in internet skills and uses. Those with higher education and higher income have higher-level Web-use skills. While those of higher socioeconomic status are also more likely to use the internet for diverse types of activities from which they may benefit, once controlling for skills, these differences are less pronounced.