Digital Services and the Elderly: Practices, Challenges, and Strategies

Abstract

This research seeks to understand the position of elderly individuals in the digitalization process by using the concepts of the digital divide, digital immigrant identity, and digital capital. This study investigates how these individuals engage with digital services, the nature of their usage patterns, the primary challenges they face, the influence of such services on their everyday lives, their adaptation to digital technologies, and the coping strategies they employ in response to their disadvantaged situations. The study specifically explores the experiences of 46 individuals aged 65 and above in Ankara, Turkiye, who use e-health, e government, and digital banking services. A qualitative methodology was adopted, and the participant group comprised elderly individuals living in Ankara who had used at least one of the aforementioned services. The data for the study were collected via semi-structured interviews with these participants. These interviews were analyzed using the MAXQDA24 software through descriptive analysis for a detailed evaluation. The research findings point out the factors affecting the ability of elderly individuals to engage with the digital world, which is closely linked to their level of digital capital and, in turn, shapes both their strategies of adaptation and their risk of exclusion from digital services. Findings reveal that low levels of digital capital can hinder elderly individuals’ ability to use digital services effectively, often leading them to rely on help from their immediate social networks. The findings of the study also point out that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly contributed to the digital adoption of older adults, fostering improvements in digital literacy, though often dependent on social support networks.

Keywords

• digitalization
• aging
• digital capital
• digital fear
• age-related digital divide

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