The capacity of elderly citizens to access digital media in Andalusia (Spain)

ABSTRACT

In most of the European Union (EU) countries, including Spain, there has been an increase in the number of inhabitants aged 55 years or older. As of 2014, in the EU (27) more than 65% of the population uses the internet daily. However, among the elderly, the percentage is drastically lower. This type of occurrence is found in technologically advanced societies, and turns the older citizens into a forgotten collective. With the digital divide (defined as physical access to the internet) surmounted in these countries, a new divide is becoming apparent in terms of personal use and societal participation. In this article, through the use of multivariate analysis techniques, we identify a new divide in Andalusia, Spain, with respect to the frequency of access to new media and the use citizens make of them. We will discuss the influence of the elderly's immediate environment as a source of opportunity for the Information and Communication Technologies to improve our quality of life and as a medium for more active social participation.

KEYWORDS:

• Media literacy
• digital skills
• new media
• digital divide
• digital activity
• elderly

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the regional autonomous government of Andalusia's Excellence in Research Project SEJ-5823-2010, entitled ‘The audio-visual competence of Andalusian citizenship.Strategies of media literacy in the digital entertainment society'.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on Contributors

Ramón Tirado-Morueta Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Education at the University of Huelva (Spain), lecturing in the field of Educational Technology. His research career has been organized around the variable modulating effects and application of ICT in many educational contexts. Recently, he has published several scientific articles focused on the analysis of processes of cooperative learning and learning communities supported by the use of technological resources, as well as the contrast of theories about the influence of external and internal factors in the integration of teaching information technology and communication in primary schools, secondary schools and universities [E-mail: [email protected]].

Ángel Hernando-Gómez Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and Education at the University of Huelva (Spain). He has been Director of Service to the Community College of the University. Academically, he holds a Ph. D. in Psychology, and a Master's and Bachelor's in Psychology and Educational Psychology. He has been Deputy Director of the Ibero-American journal of communication and Education, and a member of the Editorial Board of Psychology Notes. He has participated in numerous training and research activities in the field of school counseling, psychology, education, intervention on risk behaviors and promoting positive adolescent development. He is the author of many publications that address various topics, all related to the area of Psychology and Education [E-mail: [email protected]].

J. Ignacio Aguaded-Gomez Ph.D. is the Vice-chancellor of the University of Huelva (Spain). He leads the fields of Technology and Innovation and is a Full Professor in the Department of Education; Chairman of Group Comunicar, in Andalusia; and a veteran in Spain in Education through Mass Media. He is the manager of the Ibero-American scientific magazine of Communication and Education ‘Comunicar' (ISSN:1134–3478), which is distributed in Europe and America. He is also scientific advisor to several national and international magazines, as well as manager of ‘Agora' Investigation Group in the Andalusian Plan of Investigation, developing various investigation projects. He has participated in many educational/investigation activities in the didactic use of mass media and has been the organizer and chairman of several scientific committees of international academic events [E-mail: [email protected]].